Gliricidia Sepium

Gliricidia Sepium tree description

Gliricidia Sepium (Gliricidia) is a small to medium size flowering tree. It is considered to be an excellent nitrogen-fixing and soil-improving species. It can grow to a height of 30 feet, however, it is typically smaller. Gliricidia is spineless, it carries many branches and has a spreading crown. Additionally, leaves are usually alternate, pinnate and up to 12 inches long. Leaflets are ovate to elliptic in shape and measure between 1 to 3 inches by .75 to 1.25 inches.

Furthermore, flowers are borne on branch ends as erect clusters 2 to 6 inches long. These clusters typically have between 20 to 40 showy round blooms. Flowers are pink to lilac and a touch of white; attracting many insects.  And fruits are dry, hard pods are green, turning yellow to brown as they mature. Normally, they grow to be up to 6 inches long, containing between 4 to 10 round brown seeds; seeds and cuttings are mainly for propagation.

Gliricidia Sepium cultivation

Additionally, Gliricidia Sepium (Gliricidia) is adapts to a wide range of well-drained soils. In the tropics, it is perfect for livestock forage and shade. Other ingenious uses include living fence posts, green manure, honey, medicinal products and fuelwood. They are also often grown as an agro-forestry species with food crops. As a landscape plant, it is an attractive flowering and shade tree in gardens and parks; and it benefits from pruning. As a hedge its suitable in land reclamation and xerophytic gardens.

🌳More popular and beautiful plants: Kapok tree.