permaculture

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Scott wrote:

A problem I have is looking for broad canopy overstory plants, that fix nitrogen, in order to mitigate light saturation in the high desert.  How I long for those tropical legumes to provide light shade for my field.  My plants suffer through the summer, even with high moisture content, because of heat and light saturation; photosynthesis stops around noon so my plants short growing season is further shortened by inactivity.  The ideal plant would have a high broad canopy, fix nitrogen, have grey green or silvery foliage to resist ultraviolet, provide light shade, and be drought tolerant.  

 

What about Albizzia julibrissin, Silk Tree. It can grow from high altitudes in Washington state to New Mexico as well hot low interior valleys. It fixes nitrogen and has an incredibly beautiful canopy just as you describe and beautiful flowers. In my experience it doesn't like heavy boggy soil but is very drought tolerant.

Penny

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