Huaje (Leucaena leucocephala)

Leucaena leucocephala

Image - Wikimedia / Vengolis

It is a very beautiful tree, so much so that few images on the Internet do it justice. In addition, it grows very, very fast, withstands drought and gives a nice shade. The most interesting thing is that it begins to flourish when it is very young; in fact, it would not be unusual for him to do so during his first year of age. Its scientific name is Leucaena leucocephala.

It has a great resemblance to the trees of the genus Albizia, so much so that it is very easy to confuse them. I would almost tell you that the only difference they have is their growth rate, apart from the place of origin. But, How do you take care of yourself?

Origin and characteristics

Leucaena leucocephala

Image - Wikimedia / Vengolis

Our protagonist It is a deciduous tree or small tree 2-10 meters high known as peladera, liliaque, huaje or guaje. It is originally from Mexico, specifically from the south of the country, although today it is found in practically all the temperate-warm regions of the world. It has a quite branched crown, with branches covered with very soft hairs, from which bipinnate, paripinnate and oppositional leaves sprout.

The flowers are grouped in axillary chapters, which usually appear singly or in pairs, and are yellowish-white in color. The fruit is a straight, flattened, leathery legume and is about 10-20cm long. The seeds are small about 1,5cm wide, ovoid, flattened and blackish in color.

What are their cares?

View of the flower of Leucaena leucocephala

Image - Flickr / mauro halpern

If you want to have a copy of Leucaena leucocephala, first you have to know that is included in the list of the 100 most harmful invasive alien species in the world prepared by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Before sowing its seeds or buying specimens, you must inform yourself if its cultivation is prohibited or not in your country, and even if it is not, you must make sure that it does not leave your garden. That said, your care is:

  • Location: outside, in full sun.
  • Earth:
    • Pot: universal growing substrate.
    • Garden: grows in a large variety of soils, so it is not demanding.
  • Irrigation: about 3 times a week in summer and a little less the rest of the year.
  • Subscriber: only if it is in a pot, with a liquid universal fertilizer for example (you can get it here).
  • Multiplication: by seeds in spring.
  • Rusticity: it resists frosts down to -7ºC.

What did you think of this tree?


2 comments, leave yours

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  1.   Jorge Chacon Elizondo said

    I know two trees in Sonador de Buenos Aires, Puntarenas, Costa Rica. They are now adults and I am taking seeds to plant them on my farm with the aim of feeding the cows and putting up living fences.

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Perfect, Jorge. Good luck.