Nitrogen fixing trees and shrubs for acid soils

 Nitrogen fixing tree and shrub species that are tolerant of acid soils (pH 5.5 or less), grouped by adaptation to climate zones based on mean annual rainfall and mean annual temperature.

— Mean annual rainfall more than 1,000 mm —

Mean annual temperature greater than 20°C

Mean annual temperature less than 20°C

Acacia angustissima
Acacia auriculiformis
*Acacia koa
*Acacia mangium
Albizia lebbeck
Albizia saman
*Calliandra calothyrsus
Casuarina cunninghamiana
Casuarina junghuhniana
Casuarina sumatrana
Cedrelinga catenaeformis
Cratylia argentea
Dalbergia nigra
Desmodium gyroides
Desmodium intortum
Desmodium nicaraguense
Desmodium velutinum
Enterolobium cyclocarpum
Enterolobium contortisiliquum
Erythrina abyssinica
*Erythrina berteroana
*Erythrina poeppigiana
*Erythrina fusca
Erythrina variegata
*Flemingia macrophylla
*Gliricidia sepium
Inga acrocephala
*Inga edulis
Inga marginata
Inga punctata
Inga spectabilis
Leucaena leucocephala X
 L. diversifolia hybrids
Mimosa caesalpinaefolia
*Paraserianthes falcataria
Pithecellobium dulce
Pterocarpus indicus
Stryphnodendron adstringens
Stryphnodendron excelsum

*Acacia koa
Acacia mearnsii
Acacia melanoxylon
*Alnus acuminata
Enterolobium cyclocarpum
Inga codonantha
*Mimosa scabrella
Robinia pseudoacacia

 

— Mean annual rainfall 500–1,000 mm —

Mean annual temp. greater than 20°C

Mean annual temp. less than 20°C

Acacia holosericea
Albizia lebbeck
Casuarina cunninghamiana
Enterolobium cyclocarpum
*Gliricidia sepium
Pithecellobium dulce

Albizia lebbeck
Casuarina cunninghamiana
*Chamaecytisus palmensis
Enterolobium cyclocarpum
Pithecellobium dulce
Robinia pseudoacacia

— Mean annual rainfall less than 500 mm —

Mean annual temp. greater than 20°C

Mean annual temp. less than 20°C

Acacia aneura
Acacia holosericea
Albizia lebbeck
Casuarina cunninghamiana
Pithecellobium dulce

 

Acacia aneura
Albizia lebbeck
Alnus glutinosa
Pithecellobium dulce
Robinia pseudoacacia

 

*Reported to grow well in soils with >60% aluminum saturation.

Two-page fact sheets available for underlined species. All fact sheets are available in English. Select fact sheets are available in Spanish, French, Indonesian, Chinese, Vientnamese, and Khmer.

Source:
Powell, M.H. and J.C. Weber. 1996. Selecting Nitrogen Fixing Trees for Acid Soils. In: M.H. Powell (ed) Nitrogen Fixing Trees for Acid Soils - A Field Manual. Winrock International, Morrilton (AR), USA. p. 12-13.

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