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senna macranthera

Senna macranthera

Family: Fabaceae · Genus: Senna

Secondary I Medium Fertilizer biomass 🪓 Coppices after cutting
mauroguanandi · CC BY · Wikimedia Commons

A nitrogen-associated leguminous tree native to Brazil, small to medium-sized (6-8 m), fast-growing and semi-deciduous. It bears showy yellow flowers in panicles and is widely used for urban planting, restoration of degraded areas and as a pioneer in agroforestry systems. A Senna producing good cover biomass.

Götsch succession

Götsch stage
Secondary I
Ecological role
Early secondary
Primary stratum
Medium
Strata
Medium, High
Biomass class
Fertilizer biomass

Environment

Light requirement
Full sun
Water requirement
Moderate
Drought tolerance
Moderate
Waterlogging tolerance
Low
Soil pH range
5.5–6.8
Preferred soil texture
Loamy, Sandy, Clayey
Hardiness zones
9–11
Frost tolerance
-2.0 °C

Morphology

Mature height
6–8 m
Recommended spacing
3–5 m
Root system
Taproot
Root depth
Deep
Growth rate
Fast
Time to first harvest
24 months

Biomes & climate

Köppen classes

Where it fits in a guild

Senna macranthera takes the Medium 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.

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Emergent High Medium · ≈8 m Low Ground cover

🪴 Cultivation

Grow in full sun; propagated by seed. Fast growth (nearly 4 m in about 2 years). As a Senna, nodulation/N-fixation is weak or absent — its main value is biomass and shade.

✂️ Management & Pruning

A fast-growing, light-demanding species used as medium-shade biomass. When young it tolerates only light pruning — reserve hard cuts for extreme cases and only once well established; remove leafy/flowering tips and upper branches rather than cutting to the base. Semi-deciduous, it sheds a pulse of leaves, flowers and fine branches in the cool/dry season, supplying natural mulch. Best managed from late winter/dry season into early spring (tracking its leaf-drop and flush); avoid hard cuts before frost.

📅 Phenology

Flowering months: December, January, February, March, April

Fruiting months: May, June, July, August

❓ Frequently asked questions

How long until the first harvest of senna macranthera?

The first harvest of senna macranthera comes around 24 months after planting.

What spacing is recommended for senna macranthera?

The recommended spacing for senna macranthera is 3–5 m.

How tall does senna macranthera grow?

At maturity, senna macranthera reaches 6–8 m tall.

When does senna macranthera fruit?

Fruiting of senna macranthera occurs in May, June, July, August.

When does senna macranthera flower?

Flowering of senna macranthera occurs in December, January, February, March, April.

What stage and stratum does senna macranthera occupy in a syntropic system?

In a syntropic system, senna macranthera belongs to the secondary i stage, occupying the medium stratum.

Functions

🌿 Biomass producer 🪴 Nurse plant 🍯 Melliferous Ornamental Medicinal

Propagation

Seed

Citations

  1. Rewilding Brazil — Senna macranthera (height_min_m, height_max_m, growth_rate, biomes, common_names, frost_tolerance_c)
  2. Arboreto Virtual — Fedegoso ou Manduirana (phenology, light_need, gotsch_stage, common_names)
  3. Embrapa — Espécies Arbóreas Brasileiras, vol. 2: Manduirana (Senna macranthera) (pruning_notes, time_to_first_harvest_months, phenology, nitrogen_fixer, frost_tolerance_c)
  4. Plants of the World Online (POWO), Kew (scientific_name, family, genus, powo_id)
  5. Sítio da Mata — Pau-fava (Senna macranthera) (ph_min, ph_max, frost_tolerance_c)
  6. Colecionando Frutas — Senna macranthera (spacing_min_m, spacing_max_m, root_depth, waterlogging_tolerance)

External references

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