Leucaena leucocephala (White Lead Tree)

Native to Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala, this thornless shrub or small tree has a bushy crown. Its finely divided, compound leaves carry many small gray-green leaflets. White, filamentous flowers form compact, rounded heads, followed by flat pods that turn brown as they mature. It grows readily in open, disturbed ground and becomes drought tolerant once established. The species fixes nitrogen and has been used for fuelwood, green manure, and livestock forage. It is invasive in New South Wales, Australia, where dense thickets crowd out native vegetation. Its foliage, seeds and pods contain mimosine, which can poison livestock when eaten in quantity. Photographed in Colombia.