Biome
Plants of the Cerrado biome
A marked dry season over deep, acidic soils: in the Cerrado, guild design starts with water — plant at the onset of the rains, mulch generously, and pick species that cross the dry winter without irrigation. Many biome natives produce well in syntropic systems, alongside well-established suitable species.
204 species in the catalog · Refine this list in the catalog
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West Indian gherkin
Cucumis anguria
Placenta I Ground cover No biomass productionAnnual climbing cucurbit of African origin, popular in northern and northeastern Brazil. Listed in the Embrapa CT-16 Vitrine SAF. Fruit with soft s...
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melon
Cucumis melo
Placenta I Ground cover No biomass productionAnnual creeping cucurbit. EcoAgri lists it in the ground-cover stratum of the 'up to 6 months' bin. Cultivated in hot, dry climates; very popular i...
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cucumber
Cucumis sativus
Placenta I Ground cover No biomass productionAnnual climbing cucurbit. Pasini lists it in the medium stratum of Tabela 3 (grows on the ground or on a trellis). Embrapa CT-16 cultivates it in t...
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pumpkin
Cucurbita moschata
Placenta I Ground cover No biomass productionAnnual creeping cucurbit. Pasini lists it in the medium stratum of Tabela 3 and in the 'up to 6 months' phase of Tabela 4 (low stratum). The Bosque...
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zucchini
Cucurbita pepo
Placenta I Ground cover No biomass productionAnnual cucurbit grown for its immature green fruit. Pasini lists it in the medium stratum of Tabela 3 (occupies the low stratum during growth). 60–...
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turmeric
Curcuma longa
Placenta I Low No biomass productionAromatic tropical orange-yellow rhizome. Pasini lists it in the low stratum of Tabela 3 and in the '3 to 10 years' phase of Tabela 4 (low stratum)....
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lemongrass
Cymbopogon citratus
Placenta I Low Mulch biomassPerennial aromatic grass (1–1.5 m) forming dense clumps. Lemon-scented leaves (citral). Permanent cover between tree rows in syntropic systems, mos...
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carrot
Daucus carota
Placenta I Low No biomass productionAnnual apiaceous plant with an orange tuberous root. Pasini lists it in the medium stratum of Tabela 3 (low stratum for most of the cycle). 80–110 ...
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giant bamboo
Dendrocalamus asper
Secondary I Emergent Mulch biomassOne of the most economically important giant bamboos, a clumping species native to Southeast Asia, with culms 15–20 m tall and up to 20 cm in diame...
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giant bamboo
Dendrocalamus giganteus
Secondary I Emergent Mulch biomassOne of the largest bamboos in the world, a clumping species native to India, Myanmar, Thailand and southern China, with culms commonly reaching 30 ...
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creeping beggarweed
Desmodium incanum
Placenta I Ground cover Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerA perennial creeping herbaceous legume native to tropical and subtropical America (including the grasslands of southern Brazil), with an aggressive...
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water yam
Dioscorea alata
Placenta II Low Fertilizer biomassAsian-origin yam naturalized throughout tropical Brazil. Vigorous vine with winged stems, large tubers (up to 5 kg). More productive than purple ya...
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baru nut
Dipteryx alata
Climax EmergentNative Cerrado leguminous tree reaching over 25 m. Although a legume, it does not form root nodules with N-fixing bacteria — relies on N from groun...
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earpod tree
Enterolobium contortisiliquum
Climax Emergent Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerLarge nitrogen-fixing leguminous tree native to the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado. EcoAgri lists it in the emergent stratum of the '> 50 years' bin. ...
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arugula
Eruca vesicaria
Placenta I Low No biomass productionSpicy short-cycle leafy green. Pasini lists it in the medium stratum of Tabela 3. Ideal in consortium with brassicas and lettuce in the early bed; ...
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mulungu
Erythrina velutina
Secondary I High Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerBrazilian-native nitrogen-fixing tree legume; propagates easily by cuttings and produces abundant fertilizer biomass. Cited by Pasini among tree-fo...
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rose gum
Eucalyptus grandis
Secondary I Emergent Mulch biomassTypical accumulation species in syntropic systems: cover biomass, timber in 15 years. Non-native but widely used in Brazilian SAFs.
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cagaita
Eugenia dysenterica
Secondary II Medium No biomass productionNative Cerrado fruit tree (4–10 m), rounded canopy. Flowers in August–September at peak drought before the rains — white blooms covering bare branc...
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Surinam cherry
Eugenia uniflora
Secondary I Medium No biomass productionSmall native fruit tree of the Atlantic Forest. Pasini lists it in the medium stratum of Tabela 4 (3–10 year phase). Cherry-red bittersweet fruit, ...
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fennel
Foeniculum vulgare
Placenta I Low No biomass productionPerennial Mediterranean herb (1–2 m), feathery anise-scented leaves. Seeds used as seasoning and medicinal. Bulb of the sweet variety is a vegetabl...
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strawberry
Fragaria × ananassa
Placenta I Ground cover No biomass productionPerennial herbaceous ground-runner cultivated as annual or biennial. Productive ground cover in vegetable gardens and syntropic systems. Mild cold ...
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garlic tree
Gallesia integrifolia
Climax Emergent Mulch biomassEmergent tree of the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado with a strong garlic smell when wounded. EcoAgri lists it in the emergent stratum of the '> 50 yea...
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genipa
Genipa americana
Climax High No biomass productionPan-Brazilian native fruit (Cerrado, MA, Amazonia, Pantanal). EcoAgri lists it in the high stratum of the '> 50 years' bin. Edible fruit and source...
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gliricidia
Gliricidia sepium
Secondary I Medium Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerNitrogen-fixing legume that tolerates drastic pruning and produces fast-decomposing fertilizer biomass. Commonly used as shade for coffee and cocoa...
❓ Frequently asked questions
What characterizes the Cerrado biome?
Tropical savanna of central Brazil — the most biodiverse savanna on Earth. Pronounced dry season (4–6 months), deep acidic soils, fire integrated into species dynamics. Cerrado species typically have deep roots, thick bark, and tolerance to fire and drought — valuable traits for systems in seasonal climates.
Which plants does the catalog suggest for the Cerrado biome?
The catalog holds 204 species, among them West Indian gherkin, melon, cucumber. Each profile shows stratum, succession stage, and the management data, with sources cited.