Candlenut / Kemiri (Aleurites moluccanus): Growth, Allometry and Carbon Potential

Updated 2026-11-02 · 3 min read · By the akar.earth specialist team

Candlenut (kemiri) carbon sequestration in Indonesia: range, growth and productive life, wood density, allometry, agroforestry role and risks.

Candlenut stores carbon well for a tree crop because it grows quickly into a large, long-lived tree that farmers keep for its nuts rather than felling. Its light wood limits carbon per cubic metre, but its size and permanence make kemiri a strong agroforestry species in drier and hilly parts of Indonesia.

Identity and range

Candlenut (Aleurites moluccanus) is in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. In Indonesia it is called kemiri; in Sundanese, muncang. In English it is also called candleberry or Indian walnut, and in Hawaii, kukui.

Its exact origin is uncertain because people have carried it around the Indo-Pacific for thousands of years, but it is generally considered native to Malesia, including eastern Indonesia. Today it grows throughout Indonesia, with notable smallholder areas in East Nusa Tenggara (Flores, Timor, Sumba), South Sulawesi (especially around Maros), Aceh, North Sumatra and Maluku.

Growth habit and rotation

Candlenut is a fast-growing evergreen to semi-deciduous tree with a broad crown and pale, silvery young leaves. It reaches 15 to 25 m and tolerates poor, rocky and limestone soils, slopes and a pronounced dry season, which is why it does well in Nusa Tenggara.

Trees start fruiting after about 3 to 4 years and can yield for many decades. Nuts drop to the ground and are collected, so harvest does not require felling. Reported growth rates vary with site and seed source.

Wood density and biomass estimation

Candlenut wood is light and soft. Reported basic density values fall roughly between 0.30 and 0.45 g/cm³. Wood density varies with site and age, so state the value and source.

Use the Chave et al. 2014 model for above-ground biomass:

AGB (kg) = 0.0673 × (ρ × D² × H)^0.976

with ρ in g/cm³, D (DBH) in cm and H in m. We are not aware of a widely used kemiri-specific equation. Agroforestry equations developed for mixed tree gardens in Southeast Asia are an alternative if their size range fits. Always measure height, because open-grown kemiri can be shorter and broader than forest trees. See the allometric equations guide.

Convert biomass to carbon with the IPCC default 0.47 and to CO2 with 44/12.

Carbon role in ARR and agroforestry

• Dryland and slope agroforestry. Kemiri grows where many crops struggle, so it suits ARR and agroforestry in Nusa Tenggara and dry parts of Sulawesi.
• Permanence. Nut harvest leaves trees standing, so stock accumulates for decades. Under VM0047, unharvested woody biomass adds to durable removals.
• Shade for other crops. Kemiri can shade cacao and coffee, though its dense litter and competition need management.

Co-benefits and livelihoods

Kemiri nuts are a staple spice in Indonesian cooking and a source of oil for cosmetics, paints and traditional uses. In eastern Indonesia, nut collection and shelling provide household income, often for women. The tree also helps control erosion on slopes and in degraded hills.

Risks and cautions

• Low wood density. Carbon per tree is lower than for denser species of the same size.
• Brittle wood. Branches break in strong winds.
• Weed potential. Kemiri regenerates freely and has naturalised in some Pacific islands. Within Indonesia it is long established, but monitor spread near natural habitat.
• Price risk. Kemiri prices fluctuate. If they fall, farmers may neglect or replace trees.
• Fire. In dry Nusa Tenggara savanna, seasonal grass fires can kill young trees. Fire breaks and grass control matter in the first years.

Planning notes for project developers

• Fire breaks. In Nusa Tenggara, plan firebreaks and dry-season patrols, because grass fires are the main cause of seedling loss.
• Survival monitoring. Count survival at 6 and 12 months; dry-season mortality on rocky soils can be high. See nursery and survival rates.
• Combine with legumes. Kemiri with gliricidia or other nitrogen-fixing trees can improve soil on degraded hills.
• Smallholder grouping. Kemiri plots are often scattered, so aggregate farmers in a grouped project.

Worked example

A mature kemiri with DBH 30 cm, height 16 m and wood density 0.38 g/cm³:

1. ρ × D² × H = 0.38 × 900 × 16 = 5,472
2. AGB = 0.0673 × 5,472^0.976 ≈ 300 kg
3. Carbon = 300 × 0.47 ≈ 141 kg C
4. CO2e = 141 × 44/12 ≈ 516 kg CO2e (above-ground only)

Try your own trees in the tree CO2 calculator, and compare kemiri with other options in species selection for ARR.