Acacia is akasya in Tagalog and in Cebuano. Samanea saman is rain tree or
monkey-pod tree in English. It is a large tree with a wide-spreading crown,
and with a trunk which measures from 5 - 20 meters high and a diameter of
60 - 90 centimeters and up to a maximum of one meter.  Acacia grows wide
and high very fast and may be cut after 30 to 70 years.

The buttress of acacia is not pronounced and its bark is dark brown and
ridged. Its leaves which look like twin feathers are compound. Acacia’s
sapwood is whitish or buff-colored and is clearly marked-off from the
brownish heartwood which shows dark streaks when quarter-sawn. It is
cross-grained, not glossy, and moderately fine to rather coarse in texture
and it is also strong, hard and heavy. 

Although it is not so abundant, samanea saman is common throughout the
Philippines. It grows in the open areas – along the roads, at the backyards
and occasionally along the forest streams. Thousands of acacia trees are
found along the roads- from Dau  to Angeles, to La Union,  and on both
sides of the highway in most other areas of the low level tropical zones of
the Philippine islands.

The timber is used for furniture, cabinetwork, carvings, paneling, veneers,
turnery, posts, framing in boat building, plywood, boxes and crates. It is
also used for general construction and as planks for paneling. The flat
cross-sectional discs of massive acacia trunks, when cut diagonally, are
attractive for table tops. The wood has the right fiber properties for
making paper. In Bulacan, Philippines, the shavings made from acacia wood
are made into hats.

The seeds are used in making seed necklaces, jewelry, and other crafts.

Rain tree or acacia becomes very large, and this limits its utility in some
situations, especially in the proximity to human activity. The massive
branching habit and surface root system can interfere with agricultural
activities. For example, the root system may compete too well for moisture
and nutrients in agro forestry systems with small trees or shrubs
underneath. Due to the shallow root system, the tree is also susceptible to
wind throw during storm winds, and in pasture systems this can be dangerous
to livestock.
 

  The wood is easy to cut but difficult to finish smoothly on radial surface.
It takes a high polish, shrinks and warps more than the average wood, and
requires careful dyeing. It is resistant to dry-wood termites and
moderately durable when exposed to the weather or when in contact with the
ground.

The heartwood is straight or cross grained with a medium to coarse texture.
Air-dry specific gravity averages about 0.56. The wood requires careful
drying because of shrinkage and moderate to severe warp. It is generally
considered a durable wood and resistant to attack by dry wood termites.