PlantPeers
Back to Catalog
No image available
Fabaceae FAMILY

Libidibia ferrea

Libidibia ferrea

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree
GrowthMedium

Grows best in a sunny position[1]. Established plants are drought tolerant[1]. Trees have a moderate rate of growth, reaching a height of around 2.5 metres within 2 years from seed[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 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. Sow the seed in a partially shaded position in a nursery seedbed. A germination rate in excess of 60% can be expected, with the seed sprouting within 7 - 15 days[1]. When the seedlings are 4 - 5cm tall, pot them up into individual containers and they should be ready to plant out 8 - 9 months later[1]. The seed has a viability in excess of 8 months in store[1]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Libidibia+ferrea>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

  1. [1]Brazilian Trees. Volume 1. 4th Edition. — Lorenzi. H. · Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora; Brazil. · 2002 · ISBN 85-86714-17-8 ↩︎Information on 350 species of Brazilian trees. Stunning photographs of each species, brief details on the plant, its uses and how to grow it from seed. A superb work, with the minor irritation that the translation from Portuguese is not of the best.
  2. [2]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  3. [3]Flowers of India — http://www.flowersofindia.net/ ↩︎A wed site of native Indian plants, plus cultivated and naturalized species. It has good quality photos and terse details on more than 3,000 species and cultivars.
  4. [4]Medicinal Plants of Brazil — Mors W.B.; Rizzini C.T.; Pereira N.A. · Reference Publications; Michigan. · 2000 · ISBN 0-917256-42-5 ↩︎An extremely concise book, listing approximately 1,500 species and varieties of plants with their botanical name, common name in Brazil, regions in Brazil where the plant is found, a brief list of uses and any medically active compounds in the plant.
  5. [5]Espécies Nativas mais utilizadas pelas Comunidades Rurais — http://www.cnip.org.br/PFNMs/ ↩︎A set of information sheets on some of the plants of northeastern Brazil that are commonly used by the local people.
  6. [6]Water extracts of Brazilian leguminous seeds as rich sources of larvicidal compounds against Aedes aegypti L. — Davi F. Farias et al · 2010 · ISBN 0001-3765 ↩︎