In addition to teak, it appears that there is another type of wood with a very high level of resistance, namely Rasamala wood. This plant with the scientific name Altingia excelsa Noronha is a forest tree whose height can reach 40-60 meters. This tree has a very high selling price because the wood is strong and is capable of producing fragrant sap to be used as an air freshener mixture.
In Indonesia, Rasamala wood is also known as mala, tulasan, mandung and arendong. The Rasamala tree itself is widely found in the Himalayas as far as Burma, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and West Java. Although the price is not as expensive as teak, it seems that Rasamala wood is also relatively durable, even when exposed to the ground. Rasamala wood is widely used for bridge frames, construction poles, electricity and telephone poles, as well as rail supports. Some even use it for boats, flooring, veneers and plywood.
Features and benefits of Rasamala
The natural distribution of rasamala in Indonesia includes North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Bengkulu and West Java. The existence of rasamala in some areas has different names, including rasamala (Western Java), gadog (Java), tulason (Tapanuli), lamin, mandung, mandung jati or sigadundeung (Minangkabau) and black pine (Palembang).
The Rasamala tree is evergreen, reaching 40-60 m tall with 20-35 m branch-free height, up to 80-150 cm in diameter. The existence of Rasamala is generally used by the community as a building material because of its durable wood, Rasamala leaves are also often consumed as a salad or as a natural remedy. Also, the fruit can be eaten by monkeys and birds, as well as the tree which can be a habitat for certain types of birds.[1]
Rasamala wood (Altingia excelsa Noronha) is good for use as construction wood as it has a high durability grade. The Rasamala species has characteristics of mountain forest plants and can grow well depending on altitude between 550-1,700 meters above sea level. Rasamala can ideally grow at an altitude of 600-700 meters above sea level.
Rasamala seedling growth is a tolerant category (needs shade) and in the first years its growth is slow, but after that its growth is fast. Another benefit of Rasamala is that the leaves can be used as a cough medicine by the people of West Java and the wood can produce a resin commonly called kandai sap.[2]
In addition to building materials, the root of the Rasamala tree also appears to have an aesthetic form. It is no wonder that the roots of the Rasamala tree are often used as ornaments or decorations in the aquarium (aquascape).
The price of rasamala wood also varies depending on the type, quality and size. For the best quality, it is sold from Rp. 249 thousand to Rp. 2 million per cubic meter. Until 2022, the price of rasamala wood per cubic meter has not changed much from previous years. The following is a complete price list of rasamala wood on the market.
Price of Rasamala Wood per Cubic Meter
Top quality Rasamala wood price (P)
| length (m) | Price per m3 (in thousands of rupees) | |||||||
| Diameter (cm) | ||||||||
| 4-7 | 10-13 | 16-19 | 21-23 | 24-26 | 27-29 | 30-39 | 40-up | |
| 0.50 – 0.90 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 249 | 297 |
| 1.00 – 1.90 | – | 354 | 478 | 511 | 523 | 601 | 801 | 960 |
| 2.00 – 2.90 | 256 | 422 | 588 | 662 | 675 | 759 | 1.015 | 1,218 |
| 3.00 – 3.90 | 305 | 479 | 640 | 685 | 698 | 811 | 1,089 | 1,315 |
| 4.00 – 4.90 | 324 | 516 | 672 | 759 | 798 | 885 | 1,189 | 1.425 |
| 5.00 – 5.90 | 339 | 558 | 769 | 811 | 872 | 976 | 1,309 | 1,551 |
| 6.00 – 7.90 | 362 | 573 | 821 | 908 | 924 | 1,021 | 1,412 | 1684 |
| 8.00 and above | 430 | 686 | 1,011 | 1,112 | 1,173 | 1,299 | 1,761 | 2,113 |
Second Quality Rasamala Wood Price (D)
| length (m) | Price per m3 (in thousands of rupees) | |||||||
| Diameter (cm) | ||||||||
| 4-7 | 10-13 | 16-19 | 21-23 | 24-26 | 27-29 | 30-39 | 40-up | |
| 0.50 – 0.90 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 217 | 259 |
| 1.00 – 1.90 | – | 324 | 443 | 475 | 498 | 549 | 724 | 882 |
| 2.00 – 2.90 | 234 | 362 | 530 | 585 | 601 | 675 | 905 | 1,112 |
| 3.00 – 3.90 | 256 | 422 | 578 | 611 | 662 | 724 | 995 | 1,189 |
| 4.00 – 4.90 | 305 | 430 | 640 | 675 | 698 | 798 | 1,060 | 1,309 |
| 5.00 – 5.90 | 324 | 516 | 672 | 724 | 772 | 872 | 1,163 | 1,412 |
| 6.00 – 7.90 | 339 | 558 | 743 | 811 | 824 | 960 | 1,241 | 1,528 |
| 8.00 and above | 407 | 675 | 924 | 986 | 1,050 | 1,173 | 1,564 | 1,919 |
Third Quality Rasamala Wood Price (T)
| length (m) | Price per m3 (in thousands of rupees) | |||||||
| Diameter (cm) | ||||||||
| 4-7 | 10-13 | 16-19 | 21-23 | 24-26 | 27-29 | 30-39 | 40-up | |
| 0.50 – 0.90 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 181 | 217 |
| 1.00 – 1.90 | – | 256 | 362 | 385 | 427 | 459 | 624 | 724 |
| 2.00 – 2.90 | 196 | 339 | 459 | 498 | 511 | 585 | 750 | 918 |
| 3.00 – 3.90 | 226 | 354 | 478 | 511 | 549 | 611 | 827 | 995 |
| 4.00 – 4.90 | 234 | 362 | 530 | 549 | 601 | 675 | 905 | 1,060 |
| 5.00 – 5.90 | 256 | 422 | 578 | 611 | 662 | 724 | 995 | 1,189 |
| 6.00 – 7.90 | 305 | 430 | 640 | 675 | 685 | 798 | 1,037 | 1,254 |
| 8.00 and above | 324 | 724 | 769 | 824 | 872 | 976 | 1,315 | 1,564 |
Rasamala wood price for Aquascape
| Rasamala wood type and size | Price (Rp) |
| Rasamala wood size S | 7,500 |
| Rasamala wood size SS | 10,000 |
| Rasamala wood size L | 15,000 |
| Kayu rasamala no akar size M (25 × 15 cm) | 35,000 |
| Rasamala wood root size XL | 65,000 |
| Rasamala wood root size XXL | 75,000 |
| rasamala wood size XXL | 80,000 |
| Jumbo Rasamala wood (90-120 cm) | 120,000 |
The above landscaping rasamala wood price information is summarized from various sources and is subject to change without notice.
[1] Istom & Putri NS. 2019. Distribution and Habitat Characteristics of Rasamal (Altingia excelsa Noronha) in Monte Halimun Salak National Park. JSL. 9(3): 608-625.
[2] Ekasari, I & Masfiro L. 2015. Growth analysis of three types of plants native to Mount Gede Pangrango in agroforestry lands using an allometric approach in Nagrak, Sukabumi, West Java. PROS WITHOUT NAS MASY BIODIV INDON. 1(6): 1461-1466.
