Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Fabaceae

Genus:

Leucaena

Species:

Leucaena esculenta

USDA Symbol:

LEES2

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Tree

Height:

1500 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun

Drought Tolerance:

High

Bloom Months:

mar,apr,may,jun

Bloom Colors:

white, cream

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

birds, small mammals

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts from roots and crown after fire or cutting. Commonly used in agroforestry systems with periodic burning.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

fertile, well-drained loamy soil

pH:

6.0 - 8.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

excellent drainage required

Moisture:

dry to moderate

Notes:

native to semi-arid regions, tolerates drought

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

None required

Scarification:

Seed coat scarification required before sowing

Germination Time:

7–21 days

Notes:

Scarification by hot water treatment or mechanical abrasion greatly improves germination. Seeds have hard seed coat typical of legumes.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI