Function
Living fence — species for syntropic systems
Living fences mark and protect without wire: they resprout from pruning, several fix nitrogen, and they still yield fodder or firewood. Thorny species strengthen the barrier.
17 species in the catalog · Refine this list in the catalog
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balcooa bamboo
Bambusa balcooa
Secondary I Emergent Mulch biomassA large clumping bamboo native to the Indian subcontinent and Indochina, with thick culms up to 25 m and thick walls. It is highly valued for const...
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punting pole bamboo
Bambusa tuldoides
Secondary I High Mulch biomassA clumping bamboo native to southern China, with straight, relatively slender culms 6–12 m tall, widely used as poles, in light construction and cr...
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common bamboo
Bambusa vulgaris
Secondary I High Mulch biomassA clumping (non-running) bamboo native to Southeast Asia and one of the most widely cultivated bamboos in the tropics. It forms dense clumps with c...
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pigeon pea
Cajanus cajan
Placenta I Low Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerShort-cycle shrubby legume that fixes nitrogen, widely used in Brazilian agroforestry as green manure, early shade and food. Vigorous on poor soils.
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vetiver
Chrysopogon zizanioides
Placenta II Low Mulch biomassPerennial grass with deep vertical roots (up to 4 m), originally from India. The Bosque de Niebla Guidebook recommends vetiver as a hedgerow specie...
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cockspur coral tree
Erythrina crista-galli
Secondary I Medium Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerA deciduous, sun-loving leguminous small tree or tree up to 10-15 m, native to southern Brazil and the rest of southern South America. It inhabits ...
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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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flemingia
Flemingia macrophylla
Placenta II Low Mulch biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerA 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 con...
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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...
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guadua
Guadua angustifolia
Secondary I Emergent Mulch biomassA woody clumping bamboo native to Central and South America, regarded as the finest structural bamboo of the Americas. It forms straight, strong cu...
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leucaena
Leucaena leucocephala
Secondary I High Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerFast-growing nitrogen-fixing tree legume with strong coppicing ability. Cited by Pasini as a tree-form fertilizer biomass species — sources fertili...
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maricá
Mimosa bimucronata
Placenta II Medium Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerA pioneer leguminous tree or small tree, spiny and much-branched, 4-8 m tall (occasionally to 15 m), native to eastern and southern Brazil. It fixe...
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sabia tree
Mimosa caesalpiniifolia
Secondary I Medium Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerNative legume of the Caatinga and northeastern Atlantic Forest. Medium tree (4–10 m), sparse spiny canopy. Nitrogen-fixer — central in degraded-soi...
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spineless cactus
Opuntia ficus-indica
Placenta II LowIntroduced cactus widely cultivated in the Brazilian semiarid as strategic fodder reserve. CAM metabolism gives extremely high water-use efficiency...
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Barbados gooseberry
Pereskia aculeata
Placenta II Medium No biomass productionAn atypical cactus with broad, non-succulent leaves and a spiny scrambling, shrubby habit, native to the Americas and common in southeastern and no...
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pomegranate
Punica granatum
Secondary I Low No biomass productionPomegranate, a deciduous shrub or small tree of the Lythraceae family, exotic to Brazil and cultivated across a wide range of the country. Drought-...
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red mombin
Spondias purpurea
Secondary I High No biomass productionNortheastern Brazilian native fruit tree; propagated by cuttings. Pasini lists it in the high stratum of Tabela 3. Drought-tolerant, short cycle to...
❓ Frequently asked questions
What does "Living fence" mean in syntropic agriculture?
Densely planted shrub or tree species that demarcate areas and can replace conventional fencing. Often also produce biomass, fruit, or fodder.
Which catalog species are tagged Living fence?
The catalog holds 17 species, among them balcooa bamboo, punting pole bamboo, common bamboo. Each profile shows stratum, succession stage, and the management data, with sources cited.