Typically, it can be found growing in acid soils with low to medium fertility. Common Names Usually Gliricidia sepium is just called gliricidia. There are only a few local names for the tree. There are many compounds in Gliricidia sepium . The ones most researched are the tannins.
Tannins bind to protein and can make plants with high levels have an astringent dry mouth taste.
The exact quantity of tannins varies with the location of the tree. The active medicinal compounds may be the tannins or other compounds such as afrormosin, medicarpin, or some isoflavins. Most of the research with gliricidia and it's compounds have focused on nutritive quality. No published studies could be found regarding the toxicity of using gliricidia to repel insects. However, many animals cannot tolerate the consumption of large quantities of gliricidia.