Leucaena cuspidata
Leucaena cuspidata
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
Leucaena cuspidata is native to mid-elevation, dry, inland hills and plateaux of southern Mexico, where it can experience light to moderate frosts for up to 3 monhs of the year. It grows in areas where the mean annual rainfall is in the range of 500 - 1,200mm, with a dry season of up to 6 months[1]. Leucaena species generally require a sunny position. They are often found in the wild on poor, shallow and dry soils, usually overlying a calcareous rock. Most of them do not thrive on acid soils. Most species experience a long dry season and are more or less drought tolerant. Leucaena cuspidata is one of only five species in this genus judged to have a low risk of weediness due to its sparse and delayed seed production. Unlike the majority of species of Leucaena, it does not appear to thrive on disturbance[1]. 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[1]. Limited data suggest that this species is moderately or highly psyllid-resistant[1]. 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[2].
Propagation
Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing. The seed retains its viability for a long period if stored under conditions of less than 10 % moisture content at less than 4°c in hermetically sealed containers[2]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Leucaena+cuspidata>
Pollinators
Insects
References
- [1]Leucaena A Genetic Resources Handbook — Hughes C.E. · Oxford Forestry Institute; Oxford, UK · 1998 · https://herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk/bol/leucaena/ · ISBN 0 85074 145 9 ↩︎An excellent guide to the genus, giving detailed information on the various species
- [2]World Agroforesty Centre — http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ ↩︎An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc.
- [3]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.