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 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 |
Mean annual temperature less than 20°C *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.