UOG Horizons: Knowlede For Life - Da'ok oil: Guam’s ‘green gold’ with big potential

The last time you walked past a da’ok tree and its many seeds scattered on the ground, you may not have realized the potential it holds as a natural resource in Guam. This evergreen tree, known scientifically as Calophyllum inophyllum, can produce up to 20,000 seeds each year that hold a deep green oil long prized across the Pacific for its medicinal properties. Islanders have used it for generations to soothe wounds and sunburns and to treat acne, dry skin, scalp psoriasis, wrinkles, and even arthritis - so much so that it became known as the “green gold.”