Giant trichanthera, Nacadero
Trichanthera gigantea

Family: Acanthaceae

What it is like

Trichanthera gigantea is a deciduous Tree growing to 5 m (16ft) by 4 m (13ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. The flowers are pollinated by Bats, Birds, Ants, Bees. The plant is not self-fertile. It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 5

Where it is found

Streams and swampy areas and wet forests at low elevations. Along roadsides, in clearings, swampy areas, forests and thickets.

S. America - Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Guyana; C. America - Panama, Costa Rica.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

Bolivia, Brazil, Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guianas, Guyana, Panama, Peru, South America, Suriname

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Sprouts are eaten in maize porridge. This almost certainly refers to the young shoots, since it is very difficult to germinate the seed.

Medicine

Rating: 2

The plant is a blood tonic and galactagogue. It is used to treat nephritis and to promote the flow of milk in nursing mothers. The plant is given to domestic animals, it is used to treat colic and hernia in horses, and retained placenta in cows.

Blood tonic: Is this any different to a blood purifier?

Galactogogue: Promotes the flow of milk in a nursing mother.

Other

Rating: 3

Agroforestry Uses: The plant is used as a hedge or living fence; as a shade tree in coffee plantations; and to prevent stream bank erosion. The plant can be grown in association with a range of over-story agroforestry species due to its shade tolerance. It has been grown underneath bananas, Leucaena and Gliricidias. A fast-growing plant, it can be used as a pioneer species when restoring naive woodland. Other Uses: The wood is cream-coloured or pale brown, with no sharp distinction between the sapwood and heartwood. It has a slightly foetid odour, but no distinctive taste; is straight-or wavy-grained; coarse-textured; light in weight and rather soft, but strong for its weight. It requires a sharp knife to cut smoothly across the grain; stains readily in drying. Of low quality, it is only suitable for making light packing boxes or similar unfinished products. The wood is used for fuel and to make charcoal. Cultivated as an animal fodder and fed to ducks, pigs, and rabbits. Its leaves are relatively rich in protein. It has veterinary uses in Colombia, where it has been used to treat horse colic and retained placenta in cows.

Charcoal: Used for fuel, drawing, deodorant, filter, fertilizer etc.

Fencing: Plants that can be used for fencing.

Fodder: Food given to the animals (including plants cut and carried to them) rather than forage for themselves.

Fuel: Usually wood, plant materials that have been mentioned as being a good fuel.

Hedge: Plants that can be grown as hedges.

Pioneer: Plants, usually trees and shrubs, that can be used to reforest land.

Soil stabilization: Plants that can be grown in places such as sand dunes in order to prevent erosion by wind, water or other agents.

Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.

Fodder: Bank: Fodder banks are plantings of high-quality fodder species. Their goal is to maintain healthy productive animals. They can be utilized all year, but are designed to bridge the forage scarcity of annual dry seasons. Fodder bank plants are usually trees or shrubs, and often legumes. The relatively deep roots of these woody perennials allow them to reach soil nutrients and moisture not available to grasses and herbaceous plants.

Management: Coppice: Cut to the ground repeatedly - resprouting vigorously. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.

Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.

Fodder: Bank: Fodder banks are plantings of high-quality fodder species. Their goal is to maintain healthy productive animals. They can be utilized all year, but are designed to bridge the forage scarcity of annual dry seasons. Fodder bank plants are usually trees or shrubs, and often legumes. The relatively deep roots of these woody perennials allow them to reach soil nutrients and moisture not available to grasses and herbaceous plants.

Management: Coppice: Cut to the ground repeatedly - resprouting vigorously. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.

Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.

Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.

Coppice: A traditional method of woodland management which exploits the capacity of many species of trees to put out new shoots from their stump or roots if cut down.

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

Hedge: Hedge

Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil

How it is grown

A plant of the humid, lowland tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 400 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 27 - 33°c, but can tolerate 20 - 38°c. The plant can survive temperatures down to about -1°c. The plant does not tolerate frost. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,500 - 3,000mm, but tolerates 1,000 - 5,000mm. Growing well in full sun, the plant also has considerable shade tolerance. It is well adapted to acid infertile soils. Although commonly found on stream banks, the plant requires well-drained soils. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 6.5, tolerating 4.5 - 7. A fast-growing plant. The vigorous regrowth of the plant under heavy cutting regimes has led to speculation that nitrogen fixation may occur through the action of mycorrhiza or other organisms

Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a partially shaded position in a nursery seedbed. Germination rates are very poor, generally 0 - 2%, with the seed sprouting within 25 - 35 days. Seedlings are usually ready to be planted out about 6 months after germination. Stem cuttings will readily form roots in full sun or in light shade. Cuttings 2.2 - 2.8mm in diameter, 20cm long and with at least 2 leaf buds are the most effective in striking roots, with a success rate of 92%. Larger stem cuttings that are more than 1 metre long and 2cm in diameter can also be used in order to quickly produce a living fence. Stems that contact the ground, either through bending or breakage, will root at the nodes to form new plants.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Fast

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Aro, Asedera, Barriga, Yatago, Madre de agua, Suiban, Cenicero, Tuno, Naranjillo, and Palo de agua.

Synonyms

Besleria surinamensis Miq. Clerodendrum verrucosum Splitg. ex de Vriese Ruellia gigantea Humb. & Bonpl.