Leucaena collinsii

Cultivation Details

A plant of the seasonally dry tropics, where the dry season can be up to 6 - 7 months long^[1]. It is found at elevations up to 900 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 30°c, but can tolerate 16 - 36°c^[2]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -10°c, but young growth can be severely damaged at -2°c^[2]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 900 - 2,500mm, but tolerates 700 - 3,000mm^[2]. Requires a sunny position^[2]. Succeeds in a range of well drained soils^[2]. Prefers a pH in the range 6.5 - 8, tolerating 5 - 8.5^[2]. Established plants are notably drought tolerant^{[1, 3]}. Leucaena collinsii, and particularly the subsp. zacapana, produce abundant seed from an early age and, as demonstrated by its dominance of bush fallows in its native range in Guatemala, poses significant risks of becoming a ruderal weed of open disturbed habitats where introduced, but is likely to be less weedy than Leucaena leucocephala^[3]. The plant responds well to coppicing^{[1, 3]}. The unripe seedpods are harvested by climbing the trees and lopping the terminal branches or groups of pods, often crudely, with machetes, small knives or cutting poles. Annual pollarding in this way apparently causes only limited damage to the trees which resprout and fruit annually^[3]. Secondary stands are managed in parts of Guatemala on a four year coppice rotation specifically for fuel wood production^[1]. This species, especially the subsp. collinsii) is one of the most psyllid-resistant members of the genus^[3]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby^[1].