Climate
Plants for the Tropical savanna with dry winter (Aw) climate
Tropical with a dry winter — the climate of much of central Brazil. The working rule: plant at the onset of the rains, cover the soil before the dry season, and pick species that cross winter without irrigation. Drought tolerance is on each profile.
240 species in the catalog · Refine this list in the catalog
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fairchild's clitoria
Clitoria fairchildiana
Secondary I High Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerA leguminous tree native to Brazil (Amazonian domain), 6-12 m tall, with a broad crown and violet flowers in pendulous inflorescences. It nodulates...
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butterfly pea
Clitoria ternatea
Placenta I Ground cover Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerA perennial herbaceous climbing legume able to fix up to 100 kg N per hectare per year in symbiosis with Rhizobium. Used as a high-value forage (pr...
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green dwarf coconut
Cocos nucifera
Secondary II High No biomass productionGreen Dwarf cultivar — Brazil's commercial mainstay for coconut water. 8–12 m tall, 30–40 year economic life, first harvest at 2–3 years. Yields 15...
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hybrid coconut
Cocos nucifera
Secondary II High No biomass productionDwarf × Tall hybrids registered by Embrapa (BRS 001, 002, 003). Intermediate height (15–20 m), early bearing (4 years), medium fruits. Combine Tall...
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coconut palm
Cocos nucifera
Secondary II Emergent No biomass productionHigh-value palm naturalized along Brazilian coastlines. Pasini lists it in the emergent stratum of Tabela 3. Tolerates salinity and coastal winds; ...
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yellow dwarf coconut
Cocos nucifera
Secondary II High No biomass productionYellow Dwarf cultivar. Height and cycle similar to Green Dwarf (8–12 m, first harvest at 2–3 years). Slightly larger yellow fruits. Better toleranc...
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tall coconut
Cocos nucifera
Secondary II Emergent No biomass productionTall variety — emergent (20–30 m), 60–70 year lifespan, first flowering at 5–7 years. 60–80 large fruits per plant per year for copra, oil, and fib...
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catuaí coffee
Coffea arabica
Secondary I Low No biomass productionCaturra × Mundo Novo hybrid developed by IAC. Compact dwarf architecture (1.8–2.5 m) — eases harvest and dense planting. Dominant cultivar in Brazi...
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robusta coffee
Coffea canephora
Secondary I Medium No biomass productionDistinct coffee species from arabica — more vigorous, adapted to lowland (0–800 m) and hot climate (22–26°C). Brazil's dominant species in Espírito...
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woolly plectranthus
Coleus barbatus
Secondary I Medium No biomass productionA perennial semi-succulent subshrub of the Lamiaceae family, native to tropical Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and Asia, widely grown in Brazil as b...
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taro
Colocasia esculenta
Placenta I Low Fertilizer biomassDistinct from taioba (Xanthosoma sagittifolium, already in canon, native species) and from yam (Dioscorea spp.). Introduced Asian species cultivate...
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diesel tree
Copaifera langsdorffii
Climax High Mulch biomassClimax Cerrado and Atlantic Forest legume; produces medicinal oil from trunk exudates. Pasini lists it in the high stratum of Tabela 3 and in the '...
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freijo
Cordia goeldiana
Secondary II Emergent Mulch biomassAmazonian emergent tree, listed by Embrapa Amazônia Oriental among key timber species for SAFs with fruit trees. Mahogany-grade timber — sliced and...
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sunn hemp
Crotalaria juncea
Placenta I High Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerAnnual green-manure legume, fixes up to ~450 kg N/ha, ideal for the Placenta I phase. Breaks nematode cycles and contributes large amounts of ferti...
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capixingui
Croton floribundus
Secondary I High Mulch biomassNative pioneer tree of the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado, common in edges and clearings of semi-deciduous forests. Reaches 8–15 m on a roughly 30-yea...
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dragon's blood tree
Croton urucurana
Secondary I Medium Mulch biomassHeliophyte pioneer tree typical of riparian forests and humid terrain across the Amazon, Cerrado, and Atlantic Forest. Reaches 7–14 m and produces ...
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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 ...
❓ Frequently asked questions
What is the Tropical savanna with dry winter (Aw) climate?
Wet summers and a marked dry winter (4–6 months). The dominant climate of the Cerrado, central-west, and sub-humid northeast. Calls for deep-rooted species and a deliberate water-management plan.
Which plants does the catalog suggest for the Tropical savanna with dry winter (Aw) climate?
The catalog holds 240 species, among them fairchild's clitoria, butterfly pea, green dwarf coconut. Each profile shows stratum, succession stage, and the management data, with sources cited.