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river inga

Inga vera

Family: Fabaceae · Genus: Inga

ice-cream bean

Secondary I Medium Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixer 🪓 Coppices after cutting
Photo by David J. Stang · CC BY-SA · Wikimedia Commons

A pioneer leguminous tree native to the Neotropics, 5-10 m tall, with a broad low crown, frequent in secondary formations of humid or swampy soil, floodplains and riverbanks. It fixes nitrogen and is one of the most recommended natives for restoring degraded areas and protecting springs and riparian forest. It produces pods with sweet, edible white pulp, and melliferous flowers.

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
High
Drought tolerance
Low
Waterlogging tolerance
High
Soil pH range
5.5–8.5
Preferred soil texture
Clayey, Loamy, Silty
Hardiness zones
10–12

Morphology

Mature height
5–10 m
Recommended spacing
0.5–1 m
Root system
Taproot
Growth rate
Fast
Time to first harvest
24 months

Biomes & climate

Köppen classes

Where it fits in a guild

River inga 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 · ≈10 m Low Ground cover

🪴 Cultivation

Ideal for planting in degraded riparian areas and spring protection; tolerates waterlogging. Seeds are recalcitrant — sow soon after harvest.

✂️ Management & Pruning

The classic syntropic 'podadeira' — inga is named one of the best species for alley cropping. It coppices and resprouts vigorously, responding well to drastic pruning. Pollard/prune to ~1.5 m (chest height); do not prune below ~1.5 m, as it can kill the tree. It withstands repeated annual pruning once established; cut whenever the canopy closes over the crop line. Canopy reclose after a hard prune takes 8–12 months, giving crops ~6 months of released light per cycle. For chop-and-drop, lay leaves and small branches as N-rich mulch between rows and use larger branches as firewood. Prune best at the start of the rainy season.

📅 Phenology

Flowering months: August, September, October, November

Fruiting months: December, January, February

❓ Frequently asked questions

How long until the first harvest of river inga?

The first harvest of river inga comes around 24 months after planting.

What spacing is recommended for river inga?

The recommended spacing for river inga is 0.5–1 m.

How tall does river inga grow?

At maturity, river inga reaches 5–10 m tall.

When does river inga fruit?

Fruiting of river inga occurs in December, January, February.

When does river inga flower?

Flowering of river inga occurs in August, September, October, November.

What stage and stratum does river inga occupy in a syntropic system?

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

Does river inga fix nitrogen?

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

Functions

🌱 Nitrogen fixer 🌿 Biomass producer 🪴 Nurse plant 🍎 Fruit 🍯 Melliferous Fuelwood Ornamental

Propagation

Seed

Citations

  1. Biologia da Paisagem — Inga vera subsp. affinis (ingá do brejo) (height_min_m, height_max_m, nitrogen_fixer, waterlogging_tolerance, phenology, functions, gotsch_stage)
  2. Plants of the World Online (POWO), Kew (scientific_name, family, genus, biomes)
  3. Rainforest Saver — Inga alley cropping manual (pruning_notes, spacing_min_m, spacing_max_m)
  4. Rainforest Saver — Step-by-step guide to Inga alley cropping (pruning_notes, time_to_first_harvest_months)
  5. PFAF Plant Database — Inga vera (hardiness_zone_min, hardiness_zone_max, ph_min, ph_max, waterlogging_tolerance)

External references

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