Leucaena retusa
Golden Ball Lead Tree, Littleleaf Leucaena, Littleleaf Lead Tree
Leucaena retusa, golden ball lead tree, is a small deciduous tree with bold yellow flowers, brown legume fruits, and an overall vase shape. It is known to have weaker wood that leaves the branches vulnerable to snapping. The tree grows well in rocky, well-drained soil and requires low water.
Branches susceptible to breakage.
Good potential utility as an urban tree based on evaluation of 13 trees, healthy crown, 100% survival, fast growth rate. Branch dieback on a few individuals and signs of water stress. Several field trial plants have been flowering and fruiting.
Almost all of the seed collected from two individuals was damaged with insect exit wounds. All seed was sown fresh, immediately in the greenhouse and had poor germination. Seedlings are slow growing.
