South American tree of the Gran Chaco region with extraordinarily dense, hard, tannin-rich red heartwood — one of the densest woods in the world, hence the name (from "quebrar hacha", to break an axe).
Hardiness ratings
| System | Rating | Temperature range | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| USDA hardiness zone | Zone 9–11 | −6.7 °C to 10 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| RHS hardiness rating | H2 | 1 °C to 5 °C | Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance |
| Canadian plant hardiness zone | Zone 9 | −1 °C and warmer | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| Australian (ANBG) zone | Zone 4–7 | 0 °C and warmer | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
Growing notes
- Tannin and red-brown dye extracted from the heartwood — the principal commercial tannin source for industrial leather processing worldwide
- WARNING: Wild populations are seriously depleted — large areas of the Chaco have been deforested for quebracho extraction over the past century, source only certified sustainable material
- Wood is extraordinarily dense — denser than water, sinks rather than floats
- Frost-tender — strictly warm-climate cultivation
- Not reliably hardy outdoors in Canada — Canadian zone values shown represent the system maximum and do not imply garden cultivation north of the warmest coastal pockets.
Categories
Related plants
Cross-check Quebracho colorado against your zones