Plants
bracatinga
Mimosa scabrella Benth.
Family: Fabaceae · Genus: Mimosa
Pioneer legume native to southern Brazil and highland Atlantic Forest, listed by IPOEMA among anchor Brazilian species for SAFs (alongside cacao, yerba mate, guaraná, cupuaçu, coffee, banana, Brazil nut). Very fast growth, fixes nitrogen, and produces high-quality firewood in 5–7 years. Tolerates mild frost; massive bloom attracts bees (bracatinga honey). Ideal living adubadora for Secondary 1.
Götsch succession
- Götsch stage
- Secondary I
- Ecological role
- Pioneer
- Primary stratum
- High
- Strata
- High, Medium
- Biomass class
- Fertilizer biomass
Environment
- Light requirement
- Full sun
- Water requirement
- Moderate
- Drought tolerance
- Moderate
- Soil pH range
- 4.5–6.5
- Preferred soil texture
- Loamy, Clayey
- Hardiness zones
- 9–12
- Frost tolerance
- -5.0 °C
Morphology
- Mature height
- 10–18 m
- Recommended spacing
- 2–4 m
- Root system
- Lateral
- Root depth
- Shallow
- Growth rate
- Very fast
- Lifespan
- 15–25 years
- Productive lifespan
- 7 years
Biomes & climate
- Atlantic Forest Native
- Pampa Native
Köppen classes
- Humid subtropical (Cfa) Suitable
- Oceanic (Cfb) Suitable
- Subtropical with dry winter (Cwa) Suitable
- Subtropical highland (Cwb) Suitable
Where it fits in a guild
Bracatinga takes the High stratum in the Secondary I phase of succession — in a guild it shares the line with species from the other strata, each harvesting light at its own height, in its own time. It also fixes nitrogen, feeding the soil for its line neighbors.
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❓ Frequently asked questions
What spacing is recommended for bracatinga?
The recommended spacing for bracatinga is 2–4 m.
How tall does bracatinga grow?
At maturity, bracatinga reaches 10–18 m tall.
What stage and stratum does bracatinga occupy in a syntropic system?
In a syntropic system, bracatinga belongs to the secondary i stage, occupying the high stratum.
Does bracatinga fix nitrogen?
Yes — bracatinga is a nitrogen-fixing species that helps fertilize the system's soil.
Functions
Propagation
Seed
Citations
- Wendling, A. (2014) — Curso de Capacitação em Jardins Agroflorestais, IPOEMA / Instituto de Permacultura , p. 31 (biomes, ecological_role)
- Useful Tropical Plants / World Agroforestry (ICRAF) — Mimosa scabrella (height_min_m, height_max_m, growth_rate, root_system, root_depth, soil_texture_preference, ph_min, ph_max)
- CABI Compendium — Mimosa scabrella (nitrogen_fixer, frost_tolerance_c, spacing_min_m, spacing_max_m)
- GBIF — Mimosa scabrella Benth. (accepted, key 2970213) (external_ids)
External references
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