When you have a big property you want to have a fence that will look good and save you money. A living fence, with no need for maintenance and growing by itself, might be the solution that you are looking for. But there is a lot to choose from. Which living fence should you choose?
Gliricidia sepium also known as Madre de Cacao is a medium-sized nitrogen-fixing tree, used as a living fence that can grow up to 12 meters high. It’s famous by the name quick-stick, as it grows almost immediately after planting it in the ground.
Many homeowners with big properties spend a lot of their budget on expensive fences. A living fence is a great solution as it doesn’t require a lot of maintenance and it’s cheap. In this article, I will explain the advantages and disadvantages of living fences and give you more information about Madre de Cacao.
What can I use instead of fencing?
If you don’t like the idea of putting up a large and heavy fence, the living fence is a great solution. This is a fence made from plants or trees that form a border around a location. Living fences are not new. They have been grown for decades to separate land borders, as well as serving as decoration.
If you are an owner of a big property of ten hectares, the cheapest solution is going to be a living fence. One of many is a shade tree called Madre de Cacao from the Philippines.
Madre de Cacao is originating from Central America where it is often used for fences. Madre de Cacao, also called Mexican lilac, Saint Vincent plum, or tree of iron, begins to grow pink flowers in March, and straight lines of pink fence lines are seen everywhere throughout Central America.
Since we are building our own living fence, I did some research and found some useful videos which I will place below.
This helped me to understand the process of making this fence and made me realized what I am paying the people for that I hired. I would like to be doing this myself, but due to Covid restrictions, I can’t be there. Thanks to the work of others and the amazing skills of the Filipinos the work goes on.
Advantages and disadvantages of living fences
Pros of Living Fences
- They increase soil humus as its leaf litter and root hairs break down.
- They are perfect windbreaks, which reduce soil drying, wind erosion, and stress on livestock or crop plants, thus increasing yields.
- They are natural, self-repairing, and easy to fix.
Cons of Living Fences
- The trees might grow fast and therefore require extra work in pruning.
- They might compete with other plants for available sunlight, water, and soil nutrients.
The traditions of living fences and their use
The tradition of using living fences differs from place to place in the tropics. Likewise, different species of trees are used for the construction of living fences, depending on the place they originate from and their characteristics.
Some people just want to stay away from posts that are used with standard sharp wires or wire screens. Plants used as fences are planted very carefully, as close together as necessary, to achieve an animal-proof cage-like fence. This prevents animals from escaping or getting hurt from sharp wires.
Plants used in fences tend to spread so that they fill in the spaces between them. This makes a living fence look better than a standard fence.
While any tree can be used as a living post, many trees would not be as suitable as the rest because of their size, slow growth, unfavorable characteristics, or short lifespan.
Madre de Cacao: A good alternative for a fence
The fence in the picture is made of Madre Cacao posts and bamboo weave. Once Madre de Cacao has taken root, it will grow without help, and the bamboo weave that holds the stakes upright will help create a barrier.
Madre de Cacao is a nitrogen-fixing tree that can grow from 10 to 12 meters high. The tree is called by many people a quick-stick due to the ability to grow almost right away just by directly planting it in the ground.
Even though this tree may sometimes be weedy, it rarely causes a problem. It can be used as an insect repellent and for medicinal purposes. Due to its availability in most areas and cheap costs, Madre de Cacao makes for a great living fence.
Live fences are rarely fertilized which makes them a cheap investment. However, they are often trimmed to shape them into a nice form. They are also pruned for reasons of excess foliage or to obtain new planting material.
Did you know? You can form your living fences by carefully weaving and tying branches.
Gliricidia sepium also known as Madre de Cacao
This medium-sized leguminous tree belonging to the family Fabaceae is often simply called a quickstick with a native range from Mexico to Colombia. As it is now widely introduced to other tropical zones, it has acquired many different names. Depending on the country, people used different names for this plant. After some research, I made a list with the most common names.
Botanical Name:Gliricidia sepium syn. G. maculata
- Honduras: Madreado
- Philippines: Kakawate
- Philippines, Belize, and Guatemala: Madre Cacao or Madre de Cacao
- Nicaragua: Madero Negro
- Panama: Mata ratón, Cacao de Nance, Cachanance
- Central America: Mexican Lilac, Saint Vincent Plum, Tree of Iron
- Dominican Republic: Piñon Cubano
- Marathi: Undirmari
- Sinhala: Wetahiriya
How do you grow Madre de Cacao?
The growing instructions are quite easy. You simply cut a leg-long stick of the tree and place it into the ground. If the ground is moist enough, the stick will grow into a new tree within a season.
Place many sticks in a row and in a few months you will have a “living fence”. Use bamboo strips to weave between the poles, to add support and structure to your fence.
To help you understand the whole process you can watch a helpful video I found on the internet. Watch this video here. The picture from above and the following video here is the making of the living fence by Becoming Filipino.
Plant Description
Madre de Cacao is a small, thornless tree that grows up to 10 m tall. It has an open crown and an often twisted trunk up to 30 cm in diameter. Produces dense masses of attractive white or pink flowers.
This tree is only suitable for frost-free areas, and tolerates drought for up to 8 months, which makes it a perfect living fence for dry places or areas with little to no rain. Quick sticks fear no droughts!
Furthermore, it’s adaptable to almost any soil environment, including infertile soils, and is tolerant to salt spray and water-logging.
The Madre de Cacao plant is a mosquito repellent. It also helps relieve itchy skin, it can help treat burns, helps relieve rheumatism, and can be used to repel ticks and fleas.
I will post pictures of the fence we are building as soon as I can. Not sure when, as Covid is declining international travel.
Related Questions
Is a Hedge cheaper than a Fence?
When in need of a non-expensive fence, you probably should consider a hedge. Hedges outlast wooden fences, cost less, and managed properly, are more attractive than most walls. A living wall is more functional and more appealing.
Living fences can provide texture and color throughout the year and include a great variety of attractive ornamentals.
But if you’re making a barrier, it’s a bit difficult to do it with vegetation. The main problem with a living fence is maintenance. It wants to grow and spread, and hedges take time to reach the size and shape that you want.
Depending on where you live, installing fencing in your area may require permits. Also, you might have local codes that dictate the height and kinds of materials allowed to use. So, a quick check about fencing restrictions may save you time and money.
Can Bamboo be used as a fence?
Bamboo can grow fast. In some cases, it can grow up to 3 feet a day. It is a decent choice for quickly creating a living fence. It grows best in well-drained soil. As it doesn’t grow properly in dry conditions, it’s important to provide bamboo with regular irrigation.
Different types of bamboo have different qualities. Clumping bamboo for example. This type can be used for a living fence, as it isn’t invasive. On contrary, running bamboo is known to be quite invasive. They can crowd out other plants and threaten a healthy ecosystem. Furthermore, your neighbors might not be too happy with the wild character of these types of bamboo.
In conclusion, bamboo might seem like an appropriate living fence, but it is one that can be troublesome and requires quite some expertise.