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Plants

Brazilian fern tree

Schizolobium parahyba (Vell.) S.F.Blake

Family: Fabaceae · Genus: Schizolobium

guapuruvu

Placenta II Emergent Fertilizer & mulch 🪓 Coppices after cutting
Bageense · CC BY · Wikimedia Commons

Pioneer Atlantic Forest species with extremely fast growth (up to 6 m per year in early years), reaching 20–30 m. Excellent for early shade and biomass production in degraded areas.

📚 Synonyms

Scientific synonyms: Schizolobium amazonicum Huber ex Ducke, Schizolobium excelsum Vogel, Cassia parahyba Vell., Schizolobium glutinosum Tul.

Götsch succession

Götsch stage
Placenta II
Ecological role
Pioneer
Primary stratum
Emergent
Strata
High, Emergent
Biomass class
Fertilizer & mulch

Environment

Light requirement
Full sun
Water requirement
Moderate
Drought tolerance
Moderate
Soil pH range
4.5–7.5
Preferred soil texture
Loamy, Clayey
Hardiness zones
10–12

Morphology

Mature height
15–30 m
Recommended spacing
3–6 m
Growth rate
Very fast
Lifespan
≤ 40 years

Biomes & climate

Köppen classes

Where it fits in a guild

Brazilian fern tree takes the Emergent 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.

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Emergent · ≈30 m High Medium Low Ground cover

🪴 Cultivation

Extremely fast-growing deciduous pioneer for full sun; scarify the hard-coated seed (boiling-water soak) for ~85–90% germination. Prefers moist, well-drained loam-to-clay (pH 5.5–6.5) but tolerates low fertility and acidic degraded soils; golden flowers on bare branches at the end of the dry season. Brittle branches prone to wind breakage — site away from structures. Despite being a legume it does NOT fix nitrogen.

📅 Phenology

Flowering months: September, October, November, December

Fruiting months: March, April, May, June, July

❓ Frequently asked questions

What spacing is recommended for Brazilian fern tree?

The recommended spacing for Brazilian fern tree is 3–6 m.

How tall does Brazilian fern tree grow?

At maturity, Brazilian fern tree reaches 15–30 m tall.

When does Brazilian fern tree fruit?

Fruiting of Brazilian fern tree occurs in March, April, May, June, July.

When does Brazilian fern tree flower?

Flowering of Brazilian fern tree occurs in September, October, November, December.

What stage and stratum does Brazilian fern tree occupy in a syntropic system?

In a syntropic system, Brazilian fern tree belongs to the placenta ii stage, occupying the emergent stratum.

Functions

🌿 Biomass producer 🪴 Nurse plant Timber Windbreak Ornamental

Propagation

Seed, Cutting

Citations

  1. Schizolobium — Wikipedia
  2. Properties of Young Guapuruvu Wood from a Forest Recovery Area — SciELO
  3. Useful Tropical Plants — Schizolobium parahyba (ph_min, ph_max, propagation, soil_texture_preference, cultivation_notes)
  4. PFAF — Schizolobium parahyba (hardiness_zone_min, hardiness_zone_max, ph_min, ph_max)
  5. Rewilding Brazil — Schizolobium parahyba (fenologia) (phenology, spacing_min_m, spacing_max_m)
  6. da Silva et al. 2016, Frontiers in Plant Science — S. parahyba var. amazonicum non-nodulating (cf. Faria et al. 2010) (nitrogen_fixer)
  7. IPNI / Flora do Brasil — Schizolobium parahyba (Vell.) S.F.Blake (external_ids, synonyms)

External references

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