World Agroforestry Centre | agroforestree database 4.0

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This database provides detailed information on a total of 670 agroforestry tree species. It is intended to help field workers and researchers in selecting appropriate species for agroforestry systems and technologies.

For each species, the database includes information on identity, ecology and distribution, propagation and management, functional uses, pests and diseases and a bibliography.

This project has been funded by the British Department for International Development (DFID, the European Union and the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF).

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Acacia aneura	Wood is used for fence posts in Australia.
Acacia catechu	The spiny branches serve as brushwood fence for the fields.
Acacia cincinnata	Trees are suitable as supports for passion fruit and yams.
Acacia elatior	The tree provides suitable fencing for livestock enclosures; used by the Maasai of Kenya.
Acacia laeta	Wood of A. laeta is used to make fence posts. The tree can tolerate repeated browsing giving it a good potential as a hedging tree.
Acacia lahai	Dry timber used as fence posts.
Acacia nilotica subsp nilotica	This subspecies makes an ideal windbreak surrounding fields; its narrow crown shades less than other windbreak species.
Acacia pennatula	Commonly used as fence posts
Acacia senegal	Cut branches are useful for fencing in cattle because of their spines.
Acacia seyal	In many areas, farmers cut branches of A. seyal to make fences. The thorny branches are good for this purpose and last about 2 years.
Acacia sieberiana	The branches make good fences.
Acacia tortilis	Boundary, barrier or support: The thorny branches are suitable material for erecting barriers.
Acacia xanthophloea	Trees are planted as live fences.
Afzelia africana	In Guinea it is increasingly being planted privately by villagers for land demarcation and as a timber tree.
Agathis macrophylla	Boundary or barrier: Tropical cyclones occur at periodic intervals in all parts of its range. Pacific kauri has an ability to withstand strong winds thereby acting as a wind break or barrier. In certain situations it is suited as boundary marker, due to
Ailanthus excelsa	The trees serve as shelterbelts along borders of fields.
Albizia anthelmintica	Poles and posts from A. anthelmintica are used for fencing.
Albizia gummifera	The tree’s branches can be used for fencing.
Albizia procera	The branches (twigs) are used by tea planters as stakes for laying out tea gardens. These are found to split well. The species is popular along field borders.
Albizia zygia	Though termite vulnerable, the wood can be used for temporary structures or fencing.
Alnus cordata	: An excellent windbreak or hedge for maritime areas, it grows quite quickly and establishes well even in very windy sites. This is an excellent pioneer species for re-establishing woodlands on disused farmland, difficult s
Alnus japonica	It is planted as living posts supporting wires for chayote (Sechium edule), a fruit vegetable in the Philippines.
Alphitonia zizyphoides	Boundary or barrier: The species is known to be used for living fences. It has good resistance to cyclones and would be well suited for inclusion as an upper-mid-level layer of mixed-species windbreaks of wide dimensions (e.g., greater than 50 m across
Anogeissus latifolia	Wood used for erecting fences on field bunds.
Argania spinosa	Argan brushwood is used for fencing and windbreaks.
Artocarpus altilis	In the Pacific, yam vines are often grown with the tree, using its branches and canopy for support.
Artocarpus heterophyllus	The trunk is occasionally used as living support for pepper.
Asimina triloba	it can be planted as a shrub border or woodland margin, and is effective around damp areas and along ponds or streams.
Balanites aegyptiaca	As a thorny tree, B. aegyptiaca is useful for fencing. Boundary and amenity plantings are widespread in Africa. Cut branches are used to make livestock enclosures.
Barringtonia procera	Cutnut tree can be used as support for fencing. In its native areas, cutnut indicates human settlements and provides proof of land ownership, and therefore can serve as a good boundary marker. The tree is a good medium-he
Bauhinia rufescens	B. rufescens provides a good, impenetrable, browse-resistant live fence; useful for protecting gardens, fields and compounds.
Bauhinia tomentosa	B. tomentosa can be effectively used as a hedge or a screen plant between camps, along fences or between blocks of various crops, for example, in tomato lands.
Bombacopsis quinata	In Costa Rica and Nicaragua the establishment of living fencerows from vegetative propagated stakes is common practice, with spacings ranging from 2-5 m.
Bombax costatum	Being a fire resistant species the tree can serve well as a boundary mark.
Boscia senegalensis	In some areas of the Sudan, the tree is being cut increasingly for dead hedging. It is however unsuitable for this purpose and live hedging using other species should be encouraged.
Brachylaena huillensis	Due to its durability, B. huillensis is used as fence posts, for example in northern Tanzanian along the border with Kenya, where it is overexploited.
Bursera simaruba	Used as living fence to delimit pastures, with stakes 1-3 m long and 10-15 cm thick, and spaced 3 m apart or more.
Cadaba farinosa	Can be used in constructing temporary fences for livestock.
Caesalpinia sappan	The tree is planted as a hedge and boundary marker in villages.
Caesalpinia spinosa	C. spinosa is sometimes grown as a live fence in Peru.
Cajanus cajan	In Southeast Asia, C. cajan is grown as a support for vanilla.
Calliandra calothyrsus	Suitable for hedgerow boundaries.
Canarium indicum	Its remarkable resistance to strong winds makes it a good living windbreak for other crops such as bananas and papayas.
Capparis decidua	As it is drought resistant and withstands neglect, this species could be particularly useful in arid areas as a live hedge providing edible fruits.
Capparis tomentosa	Trees are grown as a live fence.
Carissa congesta	The plant has dense branches and sharp spreading thorns, and is suitable for fences.
Carissa edulis	The abundant branching habit and the presence of spines make the plant suitable for planting as a protective hedge.
Cassia grandis	Boundery or barrier or support: C. grandis can be planted as a live fence.
Castanospermum australe	Wood used as fencing material.
Casuarina equisetifolia	It is remarkably suited for boundary planting as it does not intercept much of the incoming solar radiation and yields substantial quantities of green leaf manure on lopping besides other products.
Casuarina junghuhniana	In Kenya, farmers plant the tree around fields as a live fence.
Casuarina oligodon	One of the other main uses of C. oligodon is as wind breaks and in its natural range, can be seen in most villages where it is planted around the whole village protecting it from strong winds.
Ceiba pentandra	In Java, the tree is grown as a boundary tree and fences along roadsides.
Celtis australis	Trees are planted around cultivated fields.
Chamaecytisus palmensis	Tagasaste forms dense hedges if planted closely.
Combretum collinum	Branches can be cut and used to construct fences.
Commiphora africana	C. africana is particularly suitable for planting for live fences and hedges.
Commiphora wightii	Hedges of guggul are preferred by farmers.
Cordia dichotoma	C. dichotoma is a quick-growing fruit tree, performing well under semi-arid conditions and suitable for planting along boundary and farm roads.
Croton megalocarpus	As the species is not browsed by livestock, it is often used as a live hedge.
Croton sylvaticus	Poles used in fence construction.
Cryptomeria japonica	The tree is used as a windbreak, it makes a good accent, screen, or border tree for small properties due to its compact, dwarf habit.
Cupressus lusitanica	It is grown as a live fence.
Dactyladenia barteri	Stems provide good quality poles for staking yams and for construction.
Delonix elata	Poles from D. elata are used for fencing.
Delonix regia	D. regia can be planted as live fence posts.
Dichrostachys cinerea	Thorn branch enclosures prevent livestock from straying at night and protect vegetable gardens, cash crops and fodder- or thatch-grass reserves from livestock. Since it is difficult to control, having an aggressive weedy c
Diospyros kaki	Trees can be planted as a hedge or as a screen if pruned heavily.
Dodonaea angustifolia	D. angustifolia is a good hedge plant for dry areas, useful in sand or marshy soils. The poles are useful in fencing.
Dovyalis caffra	Trees can be spaced close together to form an impenetrable hedge around homesteads, gardens and croplands to keep out unwanted animals.
Eriobotrya japonica	In the Kilimanjaro region of East Africa, the tree is commonly grown on the borders of home compounds.
Erythrina abyssinica	E. abyssinica has the useful characteristic of sprouting from truncheons if cut just before flowering, and so can be used to make a live fence.
Erythrina berteroana	It is planted as live posts, fence and live supports for yams (Dioscorea alata) and chayote (Sechium edule).
Erythrina caffra	The trees are used to make live fences around homes, water sources and crops to protect them from livestock.
Erythrina edulis	Live fence posts are established from stakes as support for vine crops.
Erythrina fusca	In Costa Rica, E. fusca is occasionally used in live fences although much less commonly than E. berteroana and other Erythrina species. The tree is also used as a support for black pepper vines.
Erythrina indica	In India, it is planted as a live hedge around cultivated gardens. When the cuttings are stuck on the ground, they root quickly to give live hedges. It has been used India as support for pepper and grape vines, by virtue of
Erythrina sandwicensis	It has been frequently planted as a live fence on account of readiness with which it takes root when planted in the ground.
Erythrina variegata	In India, Malaysia and Indonesia E. variegata is used as live support for betel (Piper betle L.), black pepper (Piper nigrum L.), vanilla (Vanilla planifolia H.C. Andrews) and yam (Dioscorea spp.) vines. A columnar cultiv
Eucalyptus globulus ssp. globulus	In its juvenile form, E. globulus ssp. globulus is seldom browsed by cattle, sheep or goats, which gives it an advantage over most other species where fencing is not practicable.
Euphorbia tirucalli	E. tirucalli is an extensively used hedge plant in rural areas of East Africa.
Fagraea racemosa	F. racemosa is planted as a live fence.
Faidherbia albida	Branches lopped for fencing compounds and livestock enclosures.
Faurea saligna	Trees can be planted as windbreaks.
Feijoa sellowiana	When planted close together, the shrubs make a nice hedge, screen, or windbreak.
Feronia limonia	The tree is cultivated along field boundaries.
Flacourtia indica	When closely planted, it forms a close impenetrable barrier that serves as a hedge; it tolerates frequent trimming.
Flemingia macrophylla	Grown in hedges; promising when used as a live fence. In Malaysia, it is a useful bush to plant with creeping legumes, as it provides support for them to climb on and is deep rooting.
Fraxinus excelsior	The European ash is commonly used for fence construction.
Garcinia gummi-gutta	Ideally suited for boundary planting on the farm field
Genipa americana	In Trinidad, the tree is occasionally planted as a live-hedge in grazing areas.
Gliricidia sepium	Suitable for live fencing around cattle pastures and for delineating boundaries. Its fast growth, ease of propagation, nitrogen fixing ability and light canopy makes it ideal as a live stakes. It has been used to support bl
Grewia optiva	The tree is often planted in hedges and field boundaries.
Grewia tenax	The shrub can be used for hedging.
Haematoxylum campechianum	In India and South-East Asia, logwood is occasionally cultivated as hedge plant.
Hippophae rhamnoides	It is used successfully as a windbreak and to stabilize sand dunes, and several of its products have high value.
Intsia bijuga	U’ula is such a reputed fence post provider that it was recommended in the early 1970’s by the Livestock Department, Solomon Islands for a fencing programme.
Jatropha curcas	Widely cultivated in the tropics as a living fence in fields and settlements. J. curcas is not browsed by cattle; it can grow without protection and can be used as a hedge to protect fields.
Juniperus procera	J. procera can be planted on boundaries and as a windbreak.
Lagerstroemia speciosa	The tree is used as a support for rattan.
Lansium domesticum	In the Philippines they are frequently planted around the edges of coconut plantations.
Leucaena collinsii	Trees of ssp. collinsii are planted at field boundaries and around houses as a living fence.
Leucaena esculenta	The tree is planted at field boundaries or as living fences.
Leucaena leucocephala	Used as a live fence, firebreak and live support for vines such as pepper, coffee and cocoa, vanilla, yam and passion fruit.
Leucaena pallida	L. pallida is largely cultivated on terrace margins or field boundaries.
Leucaena trichandra	The tree is commonly found scattered in fields and fencelines.
Macaranga kilimandscharica	Dry wood from macaranga have been used for fencing.
Madhuca latifolia	It is planted along the boundaries of fields.
Malpighia glabra	The plants are suitable for hedges.
Mammea americana	Trees are usually planted along boundaries and fences.
Manihot glaziovii	In some areas the species is used as a hedge especially in areas of low rainfall.
Markhamia lutea	M. lutea poles can be used as props to support banana trees.
Millettia dura	The termite resistant poles are good for fencing.
Mimosa scabrella	The attractive flowers make it a pleasant live fence. Stakes are used as fence posts and in tomato production.
Moringa oleifera	Planted as a hedge in courtyards, M. oleifera provides wind protection, shade and support for climbing garden plants. Widely used for live fences and hedges in Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, India, and elsewhere. Stakes root eas
Moringa stenopetala	It serves as a live fence in areas of its natural range.
Morus nigra	When spaced correctly, the species can be planted as a live fence.
Musanga cecropioides	The soft wood of M. cecropiodes is occasionally used as palings on farms.
Newtonia buchananii	Poles are used for fencing.
Nuxia congesta	N. congesta wood makes excellent, durable fence posts.
Ocimum gratissimum	O. gratissimum is also cultivated as a hedge plant.
Olneya tesota	The desert ironwood is also used as a screen plant.
Opuntia ficus-indica	The thorny varieties of O. ficus-indica such as forma amyclaea and forma elongata are often used as defensive hedges for the protection of gardens, orchards and olive groves through out North America and in parts of Italy
Osyris compressa	Boundary or barrier: Cape sumach is recommended as a seaside subject and plants form very effective small windbreaks provided there are enough host plants.
Parkinsonia aculeata	Its browse resistance and stout thorns make it valuable as a live fence for protecting arable fields in arid and semi-arid areas.
Peltophorum pterocarpum	The tree can be used as a hedge.
Pentaclethra macroloba	It is used as a live firebreak in the lower Congo
Phoenix dactylifera	Dried leaves with their stiff, woody rachis are used for fencing.
Piliostigma malabaricum	Used as a hedge plant in the Philippines.
Piliostigma thonningii	P. thonningii live stakes are used in supporting vines and other weaker plants in farms. Poles or posts are obtained from the plant.
Pithecellobium dulce	With regular trimming, P. dulce makes a dense, almost impenetrable thorny hedge that keeps out livestock and forms useful shelter belts; for hedges, seeds may be sown in 2 rows of 15 x 30 cm.
Platycladus orientalis	It tolerates pruning and is therefore used as a hedge plant.
Populus deltoides	Trees planted in and around the edges of fields are regularly ploughed and planted with agricultural crops and hence develop vigorous roots, attain great height and diameter, and produce a high quantity of timber.
Populus euphratica	A single line of P. euphratica plants along field boundaries, roads, around orchards and in parks improves the landscape and additionally serves as a windbreak, benefiting the fruits and agricultural crops.
Prosopis chilensis	P. chilensis could possibly be used to an advantage as barrier plant to form stock-proof hedgerow. If selectively coppiced on a cutting rotation of five years, such hedgerows would, by way of bonus, also provide a perennia
Prosopis glandulosa	P. glandulosa is also used for fencing.
Psidium guajava	P. guajava has been used to stake yams (Dioscorea spp.); the small tree is cut back and used to support them. Yield increases of 33-85% have been recorded in Nigeria.
Pterocarpus erinaceus	The African gum tree has a potential for use as live fencing.
Pterocarpus santalinoides	Poles from A. santalinoides are used for fencing.
Punica granatum	The tree is sometimes used for fencing.
Rauvolfia vomitoria	It is suitable for live fences. The pliable branches are used to support bird traps.
Rhamnus prinoides	R. prinoides can be used effectively as a hedge or screen plant in the garden.
Rhus natalensis	Wood from R. natalensis is used in making fence poles.
Robinia pseudoacacia	A dense growth habit makes R. pseudoacacia suitable for windbreaks. It is grown in the Appalachians particularly for fence posts.
Saba comorensis	Can serve as a live fence.
Salvadora oleoides	A dense, almost impenetrable growth is formed by a parent stem surrounded by a ring of root suckers, which can be used as a barrier.
Sandoricum koetjape	Poles from the tree are used for fencing.
Santalum album	Trees can be planted along hedges and field boundaries.
Santalum ellipticum	Boundary or barrier: Sandalwoods are suitable for inclusion in windbreaks, especially where the main windbreak species include good hosts, e.g., Casuarina spp
Sarcocephalus latifolius	The tree is used as a live stake in farms.
Schinus molle	It is sometimes planted as a live fence.
Schinus terebinthifolius	Boundary or barrier: The tree is also used in hedges.
Schinziophyton rautanenii	Truncheon-cuttings used for fencing around homes in southern Angola. In some places the tree is highly held culturally and venerable.
Sclerocarya birrea ssp. caffra	Cuttings and truncheons strike readily and S. birrea ssp. caffra can be used to make a live fence.
Senna atomaria	Has potential use in provision of fencing posts and a boundary tree.
Senna siamea	It is pruned into hedgerows and used as a live fence around food crops.
Senna spectabilis	In Uganda, it is widely cultivated as a boundary marker.
Sesbania grandiflora	S. grandiflora can be used as a living fence or a live support for crops such as vanilla and pepper.
Sesbania sesban	Suitable for use as live trellises for pepper.
Shorea negrosensis	S. negrosensis provides wood used in making fencing material.
Spathodea campanulata	The species, either planted or growing naturally, is frequently used for living fence posts.
Spondias mombin	Trees can be planted close together to make live fences.
Strychnos cocculoides	S. cocculoides is planted along boundaries and near home compounds.
Strychnos henningsii	S. henningsii is used as a live fence and its poles are good for fencing.
Styrax tonkinensis	It is planted to provide green fire breaks in Guinea in West Africa
Syzygium cordatum	S. cordatum makes an effective screen plant in a shrubbery.
Syzygium cuminii	Trees planted close together and topped regularly form a dense hedge.
Syzygium jambos	In Guatemala, the tree may be planted as a living fence post or in hedgerows around coffee plantations. For this purpose, it is drastically pruned to promote dense growth.
Tamarindus indica	T. indica could be inserted into a live fence.
Tarchonanthus camphoratus	The wood is used in fencing.
Taxus baccata	Yew is a very useful tree for hedging and topiary as it can be closely trimmed. It tends to become a very large bush without trimming. It is used as a windbreak.
Teclea nobilis	Poles obtained from the tree are used for fencing and construction.
Tecoma stans	Trees can be planted as a live hedge.
Tecomaria capensis	The cape honeysuckle is a wonderful fencing plant with good regrowth ability after pruning and normally dense and colourful foliage over a long time.
Tephrosia candida	Suitable for making hedges along contours, around fields and homegardens, as it is not eaten by domestic animals such as buffaloes and goats. It is commonly used for hedgerows, providing mulch for different upland crops.
Tephrosia vogelii	Because of its dense growth, it is suitable as a hedge plant.
Thespesia populnea	In mangrove areas, T. populnea is often planted to consolidate ridges and bunds in an aquasilvicultural system for prawn production.
Tithonia diversifolia	Tithonia is used for live fencing and boundary demarcation.
Uapaca kirkiana	The tree is a suitable boundary species.
Vernonia amygdalina	The termite-resistant branches are useful as stakes for lining out plantations and as a live fence.
Vitex doniana	Grown in fields and along boundaries.
Vitex negundo	It is used as a live fence.
Vitex trifolia	V. trifolia is often used as a hedge plant, altough it may trigger various allergic reactions (sneezing, respiratory problems, dizziness, headache, nausea) to people trimming or pruning such hedges.
Warburgia salutaris	It can be grown either as single trees around boundaries or to make an attractive dense hedge.
Ximenia americana	Suited to cultivation as a hedge plant.
Ziziphus abyssinica	The spiny branches make this plant useful as a protective live fence.
Ziziphus mauritiana	Tree useful as a living fence; its spiny stems and branches deter livestock.
Ziziphus mucronata	A useful species to plant as a hedge around camps. It forms an impenetrable hedge for at least 10 years before the crown is too high off the ground to act as a barrier.
Zizyphus nummularia	In India, it is commonly erected as ‘brush-wood barriers’ (micro-windbreaks) together with Crotalaria burhia.
Zizyphus spina-christi	The thorny branches are used for fencing. It can also be grown to form a stock-proof living fence.