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Sophora tomentosa
Fabaceae FAMILY

Sophora tomentosa

Sophora tomentosa

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

All parts of the plant, but especially the bark of the root and the seeds, are bitter and yield a poisonous alkaloid called sophorine[1], which is chemically identical to cytisine[2, 3].

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree
Growth—

Prefers a sunny position, but can tolerate some shade[4]. Succeeds in a dry to moist soil, so long as it is well-drained[4]. Prefers a sandy soil[5]. Tolerant of somewhat saline soils and also of a wide pH range[4]. Established plants are drought tolerant[4]. Plants can flower and produce fruit whilst still small shrubs[6]. 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[7].

Propagation

Seed - Fruits mature in about 3 - 4 months from flowering, and are dispersed by sea currents. Seeds are able to float for at least 3 months and in this period the germination capacity is not affected. However, germination significantly dropped following immersion in sea water[8]. In a germination experiment in Malaysia, seeds of Sophora tomentosa germinated in 0.5-11 months[8]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Sophora+tomentosa>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

  1. [1]The Useful Plants of the Island of Guam — Safford W.E. · Smithsonian Institute; Washington. · 1905 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ ↩︎A very comprehensive, if rather dated, guide to the plants of Guam. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
  2. [2]Manual of the Trees of N. America. — Sargent. C. S. · Dover Publications Inc. New York. · 1965 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ · ISBN 0-486-20278-X ↩︎Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader. It can be downloaded from the internet.
  3. [3]Trees of Central Texas. — Vines. R. A. · University of Texas Press · 1987 · ISBN 0-292-78958-3 ↩︎A good concise guide, it gives details of habitats and some of the uses of trees growing in Texas.
  4. [4]Tropical Flowering Plants. A Guide to Identification and Cultivation. — Llamas K.A. · Timber Press; Oregon. · 2003 · ISBN 0-88192-585-3 ↩︎A terse guide for the gardener to almost 1,500 species of ornamental tropical plants with brief details on their cultivation and, usually, a small photograph of good quality.
  5. [5]Native Tastes of Australia — http://tasteaustralia.biz/ ↩︎A website with detailed information on around 50 species of native Australian food plants, including recipes.
  6. [6]Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants — http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/rfk/index.html ↩︎An online resource giving botanical information, and a little bit about plant usage, for over 2,700 species of plants found in the Australian rainforest.
  7. [7]Nodulation Plants in GRIN Taxonomy — United States Department of Agriculture · http://www.ars-grin.gov/~sbmljw/cgi-bin/taxnodul.pl?language=en ↩︎An online database listing plants that have either positive or negative reports on root and stem nodulation with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
  8. [8]Plant Resources of Southeast Asia — http://proseanet.org/ ↩︎Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
  9. [9]Philippine Medicinal Plants — http://www.stuartxchange.org/CompleteList.html ↩︎A lovely site, giving brief details on the medicinal uses of several hundred (over 400 at the last count) plants in the Philippines, plus a picture of each plant.