an erect trunk, 3–5 in (7.6–12.7 cm) in diameter, reaching up to 5–20 ft (1.5–6.1 m) tall. flowers are white and showy, sometimes tinged purplish, so that the plant is popular as an ornamental. Fruits are elongated, fleshy, up to 5 cm long. It is widely planted in hot climates and arid environments.
The tree is native to the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States from southern Virginia south to Florida and west to the Texas Gulf Coast, to Mexico along the Yucatán coast, and to Bermuda, and parts of the Caribbean
 

A fast growing, evergreen, thornless shrub, reaching a height of 5 m to 20 m. Leucaena is a long-lived perennial legume. It has a deep taproot and is highly branched. Leaves are bipinnate, bearing numerous leaflets 8 mm to 16 mm long. The inflorescence is a cream coloured globular shape producing clusters of flat brown pods, 13 to 18 mm long containing 15-30 seeds. Flowering and fruiting occur throughout the year.
The tree is native to Guatemala and Mexico.