Plants

flemingia

Flemingia macrophylla

Family: Fabaceae · Genus: Flemingia

large-leaf flemingia

Placenta II Low Mulch biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixer 🪓 Coppices after cutting

A perennial, woody, deep-rooted leguminous shrub up to 2.5 m tall, native to the humid tropics of Asia. It fixes nitrogen and is widely used in contour hedgerows for erosion control, green manure and cover. Its leaves decompose slowly, forming a persistent mulch that suppresses weeds and conserves moisture — a 'cobertura' biomass species par excellence.

Götsch succession

Götsch stage: Placenta II
Ecological role: Pioneer
Primary stratum: Low
Strata: Low, Medium
Biomass class: Mulch biomass

Environment

Light requirement: Full sun
Water requirement: Moderate
Drought tolerance: Moderate
Waterlogging tolerance: Moderate
Soil pH range: 4–8
Preferred soil texture: Clayey, Loamy, Sandy
Hardiness zones: 10–12

Morphology

Mature height: 1.5–2.5 m
Recommended spacing: 0.5–4 m
Root system: Taproot
Root depth: Deep
Growth rate: Fast
Lifespan: 10–15 years
Time to first harvest: 6 months
Productive lifespan: 10 years

Biomes & climate

Atlantic Forest Suitable
Amazon Suitable

Köppen classes

Tropical rainforest (Af) Suitable
Tropical monsoon (Am) Suitable
Tropical savanna with dry winter (Aw) Suitable

Where it fits in a guild

Flemingia takes the Low stratum in the Placenta II 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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🪴 Cultivation

Highly tolerant of acid, poor and aluminium-rich soils; used in alley-cropping hedgerows whose prunings become mulch. Regrows strongly after cutting.

✂️ Management & Pruning

An excellent coppicer: it resprouts vigorously after hard cutting, even from the base when frost kills it to the ground. In contour hedgerows, cut every ~6–14 weeks (commonly ~3 months) at 35–100 cm stub height, never at intervals shorter than 40 days; the ~14-week interval at 35 cm gives the highest leaf yield and is sustained for many years. Its leaves decompose slowly (about 40% of the mulch remains after 7 weeks), forming a persistent layer that suppresses weeds for ~100 days and conserves moisture. Establishment is slow — control weeds in the first 3–6 months.

📅 Phenology

Flowering months: December, January, February, March

Fruiting months: April, May, June

❓ Frequently asked questions

How long until the first harvest of flemingia?

The first harvest of flemingia comes around 6 months after planting.

What spacing is recommended for flemingia?

The recommended spacing for flemingia is 0.5–4 m.

How tall does flemingia grow?

At maturity, flemingia reaches 1.5–2.5 m tall.

When does flemingia fruit?

Fruiting of flemingia occurs in April, May, June.

When does flemingia flower?

Flowering of flemingia occurs in December, January, February, March.

What stage and stratum does flemingia occupy in a syntropic system?

In a syntropic system, flemingia belongs to the placenta ii stage, occupying the low stratum.

Does flemingia fix nitrogen?

Yes — flemingia is a nitrogen-fixing species that helps fertilize the system's soil.

Functions

🌱 Nitrogen fixer 🌿 Biomass producer Ground cover Living fence Fodder Dye Medicinal

Propagation

Seed

Citations

Tropical Forages — Flemingia macrophylla fact sheet (height_min_m, height_max_m, nitrogen_fixer, biomass_class, root_depth, functions, ph_min, ph_max, waterlogging_tolerance, spacing_min_m, spacing_max_m, pruning_notes, time_to_first_harvest_months)
Wikipedia: Flemingia macrophylla (scientific_name, ph_min, ph_max, cultivation_notes, gotsch_stage, phenology)
World Agroforestry (ICRAF) AgroforesTree Database — Flemingia macrophylla (waterlogging_tolerance, root_depth, pruning_notes, spacing_min_m, spacing_max_m)
Winrock International — Flemingia macrophylla in soil conservation (pruning_notes, productive_lifespan_years, lifespan_years_min, spacing_min_m, spacing_max_m)
PFAF Plant Database — Flemingia macrophylla (hardiness_zone_min, hardiness_zone_max, ph_min, ph_max, root_depth)