How long does red sandalwood take to grow?
Quick answerRed sandalwood is a slow-growing hardwood. Commercially meaningful heartwood, where nearly all the value sits, forms over many years, which is why managed plantation horizons run 12 years or more. Anyone promising rapid maturity is misrepresenting the botany.
Value in red sandalwood concentrates in the dense red heartwood, which accumulates slowly as the tree matures. Young trees carry little commercial heartwood.
Because of this biology, managed models are structured over 12+ years. Growth rates vary by soil, climate, genetics and management, consult forestry-research literature for study-based figures rather than marketing claims.
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