Several other species have been confused with this species in the past, including Sesbania formosa, which is treated here as a distinct species[].

Common Name: Vegetable Hummingbird

General Information

Sesbania grandiflora is a short-lived, soft-wooded, loosely-branching tree with a rather open crown; it can grow 8 - 15 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be 25 - 30cm in diameter[, , , ].
A true multi-purpose tree, providing a range of foods, medicines, timber, gum and tannins, mainly for local use. The plant is cultivated in many tropical areas as an ornamental, a green manure crop, in soil reclamation schemes and for its many useful properties[, ]. It is sold as a vegetable in local markets[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - Probably originally from Malaysia and/or Indonesia, but original habitat is uncertain.

Habitat

Dry wasteland and roadsides[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	12.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Birds
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Sesbania grandiflora is well adapted to hot, humid environments in the lowland tropics[]. It succeeds at elevations below 1,000 metres with a mean annual temperature in the range 22 - 30°c, and a mean annual rainfall of 2,000 - 4,000 mm, exceptionally tolerating rainfall as low as 800mm per year[]. It lacks tolerance for cool temperatures below about 10°c[]. It seems to prefer a bimodal rainfall distribution, growing rapidly during the wet season, but is capable of withstanding prolonged dry seasons of up to 9 months[].
Requires a sunny position for best growth[]. Prefers a fertile, moist but well-drained moderately light soil, though it succeeds in light sandy, medium, heavy clayey and low fertility soils[, , ]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 8.5, but can tolerate acid conditions down to 4.5[]. Requires a position sheltered from strong winds[]. The plant has an outstanding ability to tolerate waterlogging and is ideally suited to seasonally flooded environments[]. When flooded, the plant initiates floating, adventitious roots, and protects its stems[].
Widely cultivated in the tropics as an ornamental, where it is valued especially for its long, flowering display. The plant is a prolific producer of seeds, leading to a lot of litter under the tree and a tendency to produce seedlings in unwanted places. It has escapd from cultivation in some areas and become naturalized. It is considered to be invasive in some Pacific islands[, , ].
The species is very fast growing, but does not live long - it has a life span of about 20 years[]. Plants have reached a height of 3.2 metres in just 9 months when raised in loamy soils, but only 1.8 metres when growing in sandy soils[]. The plant is shallow-rooted and tends to grow too quickly, resulting in brittle and weak limbs that have a tendency to snap and a plant that is easily uprooted in strong winds[, ].
At a very short rotation of 3 - 4 years, the tree is capable of producing much higher cellulose raw material per unit area than most other pulp woods[]. Even trees 3 - 4 years old can be pulped without debarking and are suitable for chemical pulping for use as cheap printing, writing, magazine and newsprint paper[]. On a 3-year rotation, about 41 tonnes of pulp per hectare per year can be harvested[].
Young plants respond well to the first time they are coppiced, but tend to copice less well with repeated cuttings[].
Plants can flower all year round[].
There are some named varieties[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[, ].

Edible Uses

Flowers - raw or cooked[]. Added to salads, boiled as a potherb, fried or used in curries[, ]. Considered a delicacy in India[]. Rich in sugar and iron, with a flavour like mushrooms[]. The centre part of the flower is usually removed because it is very bitter[, ]. White flowers are generally preferred to red ones[].

Immature seedpods - raw or cooked[, ]. The long, narrow pods are boiled and eaten like string beans[, ]. The very young seedpods can be added to salads[]. The pods can be up to 50cm long and 8mm wide[].

Seed. The protein rich seeds are fermented into tempeh[].

Young leaves and shoots - raw or cooked[, ]. They can be eaten like spinach[]. Often blanched, they are added to salads, cooked as a potherb or added to stews[, ].

A clear gum obtained from the bark is used in foods[].

Medicinal

The leaves are aperient and diuretic[]. Crushed leaves are applied as a poultice to sprains and bruises of all kinds, swellings, rheumatism, itching etc[]. A tea made from the leaves is believed to have antibiotic, anthelmintic, antitumor and contraceptive properties[].

The bitter bark is considered as an astringent, febrifuge, tonic and an antipyretic, a remedy for gastric troubles, colic with diarrhoea and dysentery[, , ]. A bark decoction is taken orally to treat fever, diarrhoea, dysentery and diabetes[, ].

The flowers are emollient and laxative[]. Juice of the flowers, put in the eyes, is said to relieve dimness of vision[]. Sinus congestion is reduced by taking a decoction of the flowers[].

The root is a well-known medicine for malaria[]. Root juices are used for poultices[]. A paste of the root is applied externally in the treatment of rheumatism[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Very fast growing, with an extensive root system that fixes atmospheric nitrogen, the plant is ideal for rehabilitating eroded hills[]. In good soils, the plant can reach a height of 2 metres within 12 weeks and 4 - 5 metres within 12 months, producing ripe seedpods within 9 months[].
The fruits, falling leaflets and flowers make excellent green manure or mulch and improve soil fertility[].
The plant has been used to provide shade in nurseries; for some plantation crops such as coffee, tea and cocoa; and as a windbreak for citrus, banana and coffee[]. It can be used as a living fence, as shelterbelt, or as a live support for crops such as vanilla and pepper[].
Crops continue to grow well when interplanted with this species since its open canopy allows sunlight to pass[].

Other Uses

A gum is obtained from the seed endosperm[].

A clear, garnet-red, astringent gum that turns black upon exposure to the air is obtained from the trunk[]. Used in adhesives, the gum qualities are similar to those of gum arabic (Senegalia senegal)[].

The bark yields tannins[, ].

An oil obtained from the seeds is rich in oleic, linoleic and stearic fatty acids[].

The white wood is soft and rather light. The density of the wood increases with age, however, and the timber from 5 to 8 year-old trees can be used in house construction or as craft wood[, ]. The trunk has been used for poles but may not last long due to rot and insect infestation[]. The light wood is used in floating fishing nets[].
The wood is a major source of pulp for use in making paper. The fibres are short and they can also be blended with long-fibred bamboo pulp in suitable proportions in order to give good strength[].
The wood is used for fuel and to make charcoal[]. It is not highly regarded as a fuel because it smokes excessively when burning. Having a weight of only 500 kg/square metre, it burns rapidly without much heat. But the tree's fast growth and availability within a year of planting make it a locally popular fuel wood[]. The wood should be well dried, as it deteriorates in storage and becomes corky, dusty and unfit for burning. Its calorific value is 17.91 MJ/kg, with a high ash content (6%) and low percentage of carbon (11.7%)[].

Propagation

Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing to speed up germination, though good germination can usually be obtained without treatment[].. Scarification can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing[]. The plant is easily propagated by direct seeding[].
It is not hard seeded and usually germinates well without scarification[].
Cuttings of half-ripe wood.

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