Gliricidia: Growing Guide for Kauaʻi

Overview

Gliricidia is one of the most widely used support trees in tropical agroforestry. It fixes nitrogen, regrows quickly after hard cutting, and produces large amounts of leafy mulch. Thick cuttings root easily, so you can plant a living fence or windbreak simply by pushing posts into the ground.

History

Gliricidia is native to Mexico and Central America, where its name in Spanish (madre de cacao, “mother of cacao”) comes from its traditional use as a shade tree for cacao. It is now used across the tropics for living fences, fodder, and soil improvement.

Growing on Kauaʻi

Thrives in sun and handles drought; a strong choice for leeward and moderate sites.
Grows on the wet side too if the soil drains well.
Keep it cut back so it doesn’t set and spread seed. The Hawaiʻi weed risk assessment rates it Low Risk, but it has naturalized in some pastures on Hawaiʻi Island.

Planting and propagation

Cuttings: cut straight branches 3–6 ft long and 2–3 inches thick, and push them 1–2 ft into moist soil, ideally at the start of the rainy season.
Seed: soak overnight and sow about 1 inch deep.
For a living fence, plant posts about 3–6 ft apart along the line.

Care and maintenance

Cut back (coppice) two to four times a year to about 3–6 ft, and before it flowers heavily and sets pods.
Chop the branches and leaves and drop them as mulch around nearby trees.

Role in the guild

Gliricidia plays the same role as pigeon pea but lasts much longer: a permanent source of nitrogen and mulch. In the drier leeward guild it shelters moringa, chaya, and fruit trees, and it can support a passion fruit vine.

Harvest

“Harvest” here means cutting for mulch. Each cutting gives a big pile of leaves and twigs that break down quickly; thicker stems can be used as stakes or new fence posts.

Uses

Soil: nitrogen fixation and abundant chop-and-drop mulch.
Structure: living fence posts, windbreaks, and shade.
Animal feed: leaves are used as fodder for goats and cattle in moderation. Don’t feed it to horses.
Bees: the pink flowers feed pollinators in the dry season.

Problems to watch

Spreading by seed if left uncut; keep it coppiced.
Few pests; root rot in waterlogged soil.

Learn more

Plant Pono

General guidance for Kauaʻi; conditions vary by site. Check any new plant at plantpono.org before planting.