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fairchild's clitoria

Clitoria fairchildiana

Family: Fabaceae · Genus: Clitoria

orchid tree clitoria

Secondary I High Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixer 🪓 Coppices after cutting
scott.zona from Miami, Florida, USA · CC BY · Wikimedia Commons

A leguminous tree native to Brazil (Amazonian domain), 6-12 m tall, with a broad crown and violet flowers in pendulous inflorescences. It nodulates and fixes nitrogen, can be used as green manure, and is rustic, tolerating both humid tropical climate and dry periods. Excellent for shade, urban planting and restoration of degraded areas.

Götsch succession

Götsch stage
Secondary I
Ecological role
Early secondary
Primary stratum
High
Strata
High, Medium
Biomass class
Fertilizer biomass

Environment

Light requirement
Full sun
Water requirement
Moderate
Drought tolerance
Moderate
Waterlogging tolerance
Moderate
Preferred soil texture
Loamy, Clayey, Sandy

Morphology

Mature height
6–12 m
Recommended spacing
4–8 m
Root system
Taproot
Root depth
Shallow
Growth rate
Fast
Time to first harvest
24 months

Biomes & climate

Köppen classes

Where it fits in a guild

Fairchild's clitoria takes the High 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 · ≈12 m Medium Low Ground cover

🪴 Cultivation

A rustic species with low water demand once established; grows in riparian forest, floodplain, rainforest, restinga and secondary growth. Propagated by seed.

✂️ Management & Pruning

A fast-growing legume used for chop-and-drop and alley cropping — in Embrapa trials it was cut back as green manure to raise maize yields, so it tolerates repeated coppicing. For light management, prune/pollard in winter after flowering, removing ~20–30 cm from the branch tips, which triggers vigorous spring regrowth. Its dense, broad crown needs periodic hard pruning to release light to crops below. Best season: cool/dry season (winter), after flowering.

📅 Phenology

Flowering months: September, October, November

Fruiting months: July, August, September, October, November, December, January

❓ Frequently asked questions

How long until the first harvest of fairchild's clitoria?

The first harvest of fairchild's clitoria comes around 24 months after planting.

What spacing is recommended for fairchild's clitoria?

The recommended spacing for fairchild's clitoria is 4–8 m.

How tall does fairchild's clitoria grow?

At maturity, fairchild's clitoria reaches 6–12 m tall.

When does fairchild's clitoria fruit?

Fruiting of fairchild's clitoria occurs in July, August, September, October, November, December, January.

When does fairchild's clitoria flower?

Flowering of fairchild's clitoria occurs in September, October, November.

What stage and stratum does fairchild's clitoria occupy in a syntropic system?

In a syntropic system, fairchild's clitoria belongs to the secondary i stage, occupying the high stratum.

Does fairchild's clitoria fix nitrogen?

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

Functions

🌱 Nitrogen fixer 🌿 Biomass producer 🪴 Nurse plant Ornamental Timber

Propagation

Seed

Citations

  1. Biologia da Paisagem — Clitoria fairchildiana (sombreiro) (height_min_m, height_max_m, nitrogen_fixer, biomes, common_names, gotsch_stage)
  2. Plants of the World Online (POWO), Kew (scientific_name, family, genus, biomes)
  3. Embrapa Comunicado Técnico 314 (2019) — Clitoria fairchildiana (pruning_notes, time_to_first_harvest_months, waterlogging_tolerance, phenology)
  4. Monaco Nature Encyclopedia — Clitoria fairchildiana (root_depth)
  5. Oficina do Paisagista — Clitoria fairchildiana (sombreiro) (pruning_notes, root_depth)
  6. Useful Tropical Plants — Clitoria fairchildiana (time_to_first_harvest_months, growth_rate)

External references

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