Why is teak wood so valued?

Teak heartwood is exceptionally strong, durable and naturally resistant to termites and water, making it prized for furniture, doors and boatbuilding.

How do you recognise a teak tree?

By its very large rough leaves that stain red when crushed, plus sprays of tiny white flowers and papery inflated fruits.

✿Verbenaceae · Tectona

Sagun / Teak Wood Tree

Tectona grandis

Also known as Indian Oak

TreeMedicinal

Habit: Tree
Found in India: Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu & more
Flowering: April-September

Identify this plant with SASYA

How to identify Sagun

Identify Sagun by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.

Look for a tree habit.
Check the distinctive field mark: Major timber tree (teak) with huge leaves.
Confirm leaf shape: Ovate.
Confirm leaf margin: Entire.
Confirm flower colour: White.
Confirm flower arrangement: Panicle.
Use the leaf pattern: opposite leaf arrangement, simple leaves, entire leaf margins, pinnate venation.

Plant Details

Scientific name: Tectona grandis
Genus: Tectona
Family: Verbenaceae
Habit: Tree
Habitat: Moist deciduous forests and also raised in plantations
Habitat type: Forest, Cultivated
Native to: Southeast Asia and Malesia
Distribution: Tropical South Asia & Malaysia
Found in India: Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Goa, Mizoram, Assam, Delhi, Puducherry, Jharkhand, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Punjab, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Sikkim
Flowering & fruiting: April-September
Conservation status: Not Evaluated (NE)

Leaf characters

Leaf shape: OvaterecordedEgg-shaped, broader near the base.“Its leaves are ovate-elliptic to ovate, 15–45 cm (5.9–17.7 in) long by 8–23 cm (3.1–9.1 in) wide, and are held on robust petioles which are 2–4 cm (0.8–1.6 in) long.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Leaf margin: EntirerecordedA smooth, unbroken edge with no teeth or notches.“Leaf margins are entire.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Leaf surface: Hirsute (coarsely hairy)recorded

Typical of the family

Arrangement: Opposite
Type: Simple
Venation: Pinnate

Characters marked “recorded” are for Sagun itself; the rest are typical of the Verbenaceae family.

Flower & fruit characters

Flower colour: Whiterecorded
Flower arrangement: PaniclerecordedA branching cluster of clusters.“Fragrant white flowers are borne on 25–40 cm (10–16 in) long by 30 cm (12 in) wide panicles from June to August.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Typical of the family

Flower symmetry: Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
Inflorescence: Cyme
Fruit: Drupe

Characters marked “recorded” are for Sagun itself; the rest are typical of the Verbenaceae family — flowering plants only.

Local Names

Hindi: Sagun सगुन,सागौन sagaun,टीकवुड tikavud
Bengali: Saguna, সেগুন
Tamil: தேக்கு Tekku, தேக்கு
Telugu: టేకు, టేకు చెట్టు, టేకు చెట్లు
Kannada: ತೇಗ Tega, ತೇಗು Tegu, ಸಾಗವಾನಿ Saagavaani, ಸಾಗುವಾನಿ
Malayalam: തേക്ക്, ടെക്റ്റോണ ഗ്രാൻഡിസ്
Marathi: Sagwan सागवान, साग, टेक्टोना
Gujarati: સાગ
Sinhala: තේක්ක

Sagun in India

Teak is the king of Indian timber trees — Sagun सगुन (Hindi), தேக்கு Tekku (Tamil), టేకు (Telugu), ತೇಗ Tega (Kannada), തേക്ക് (Malayalam), Sagwan सागवान (Marathi). Tectona grandis is native to the country's deciduous forests and recorded across Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, both wild and in plantations.

Uses

Its golden-brown heartwood is world-famous for furniture, doors, boats and railway carriages thanks to its strength, durability and natural resistance to termites and water. Teak is one of India's most important plantation timbers; minor parts have attributed traditional uses.

How to Identify Sagun

A large deciduous tree with very large, rough, broadly oval leaves (often the size of a dinner plate on young trees) that exude a reddish stain when crushed. It carries airy sprays of small white flowers and papery, inflated, four-chambered fruits.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Teak wood tree called in different Indian languages?: Sagun सगुन (Hindi); தேக்கு Tekku (Tamil); టేకు (Telugu); ತೇಗ Tega (Kannada); തേക്ക് (Malayalam); Sagwan सागवान (Marathi); Saguna (Bengali); સાગ (Gujarati).
Why is teak wood so valued?: Teak heartwood is exceptionally strong, durable and naturally resistant to termites and water, making it prized for furniture, doors and boatbuilding.
How do you recognise a teak tree?: By its very large rough leaves that stain red when crushed, plus sprays of tiny white flowers and papery inflated fruits.

Botanical family

Verbenaceae

Verbena/Teak family

Sagun belongs to the Verbenaceae family.

The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.

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Common plant problems

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More in Verbenaceae

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Sources: GBIF — Tectona grandis (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · iNaturalist — Tectona grandis (regional names, India observations) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Tectona grandis (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)