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gliricidia

Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Kunth

Family: Fabaceae · Genus: Gliricidia

mother of cocoa

Secondary I Medium Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixer 🪓 Coppices after cutting
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Nitrogen-fixing legume that tolerates drastic pruning and produces fast-decomposing fertilizer biomass. Commonly used as shade for coffee and cocoa in semi-arid regions.

📚 Synonyms

Scientific synonyms: Gliricidia maculata (Kunth) Walp., Robinia sepium Jacq., Lonchocarpus sepium (Jacq.) DC., Robinia rosea Mill.

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
High
Waterlogging tolerance
Low
Soil pH range
4.5–7
Preferred soil texture
Loamy, Sandy, Clayey
Hardiness zones
9–13
Frost tolerance
-2.0 °C

Morphology

Mature height
8–15 m
Recommended spacing
2–5 m
Root system
Lateral
Root depth
Medium
Growth rate
Fast
Lifespan
15–30 years
Time to first harvest
8 months

Biomes & climate

Köppen classes

Where it fits in a guild

Gliricidia 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. It also fixes nitrogen, feeding the soil for its line neighbors.

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Emergent High Medium · ≈15 m Low Ground cover

🪴 Cultivation

A quintessential syntropic support species: establishes fast from large stakes (1–2.5 m) for instant living fences and chop-and-drop biomass, but stake-grown trees root shallowly and can blow over — seed-raised plants suit sites needing deep anchorage. Extremely tolerant of repeated hard pruning: cut to 0.5–1.5 m and it re-sprouts vigorously, yielding N-rich mulch every 2–4 months. Needs a warm, frost-free site.

✂️ Management & Pruning

Coppices and pollards vigorously. Pruning at 0.3–1.5 m stimulates leaf production; pollard at ≥2 m for wood. Fodder regime: first cut 8–12 months after sowing at 0.5–1.0 m above ground, then every 2–3 months (rains) or 3–4 months (dry), cutting once regrowth reaches 1–2 m.

📅 Phenology

Flowering months: August, September, October, November

Fruiting months: September, October, November

❓ Frequently asked questions

How long until the first harvest of gliricidia?

The first harvest of gliricidia comes around 8 months after planting.

What spacing is recommended for gliricidia?

The recommended spacing for gliricidia is 2–5 m.

How tall does gliricidia grow?

At maturity, gliricidia reaches 8–15 m tall.

When does gliricidia fruit?

Fruiting of gliricidia occurs in September, October, November.

When does gliricidia flower?

Flowering of gliricidia occurs in August, September, October, November.

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

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

Does gliricidia fix nitrogen?

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

Functions

🌱 Nitrogen fixer 🌿 Biomass producer Living fence Windbreak Fodder

Propagation

Seed, Cutting

Citations

  1. Embrapa — Palma forrageira e gliricídia (nitrogen_fixer, drought_tolerance)
  2. Feedipedia — Gliricidia sepium (synonyms, waterlogging_tolerance, time_to_first_harvest_months)
  3. Useful Tropical Plants — Gliricidia sepium (nitrogen_fixer)
  4. PFAF — Gliricidia sepium (frost_tolerance_c)
  5. ICRAF AgroforesTree Database — Gliricidia sepium (pruning_notes)
  6. Winrock — Growing Gliricidia / Gliricidia sepium, the quintessential agroforestry species (pruning_notes, cultivation_notes)
  7. SciELO Ciência Rural / Embrapa — fenologia de Gliricidia sepium (Petrolina-PE) (phenology)
  8. GBIF species match API — Gliricidia sepium (external_ids)
  9. IPNI — Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Kunth (external_ids, synonyms)

External references

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