White Leadtree
Leucaena leucocephala
- Native to:
- Belize, El Salvador, Guam, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Navassa Island, Palau, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands
Roger Culos
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Genus:
- Leucaena
- Species:
- Leucaena leucocephala
- USDA Symbol:
- LELE10
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Shrub , Tree
- Height:
- 1800 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- apr,may,jun,jul,aug,sep,oct
- Bloom Colors:
- white, cream
Wildlife Benefits
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Ithome lassula, Tmolus azia
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, livestock forage
- Salt Tolerant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts vigorously from the root crown after fire or cutting. Considered highly invasive in tropical and subtropical regions.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- well-drained, sandy to loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 8.5 (slightly acidic to alkaline)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- tolerates poor, degraded soils
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Scarification:
- Seed coat scarification required before sowing
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Hot water scarification or mechanical scarification required to break hard seed coat. Seeds germinate readily after treatment.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI