Gliricidia sepium is a medium-sized tree and can grow to from 10 to 12 meters high. The bark is smooth and its color can range from a whitish gray to deep red-brown. It has composite leaves that can be 30 cm long. Each leaf is composed of leaflets that are about 2 to 7 cm long and 1 to 3 cm wide. The flowers are located on the end of branches that have no leaves. These flowers have a bright pink to lilac color that is tinged with white. A pale yellow spot is usually at the flower's base. The tree's fruit is a pod which is about 10 to 15 cm in length. It is green when unripe and becomes yellow-brown when it reaches maturity. The pod produces 4 to 10 round brown seeds. The tree grows well in acidic soils with a pH of 4.5-6.2.

The tree is used in many tropical and sub-tropical countries for various purposes such as live fencing, fodder, coffee shade, firewood, green manure and rat poison. Live fences can be grown from 1.5 m to 2.0 m stakes of Gliricidia sepium in just a month. Gliricidia can be intercropped with maize. Its effect is that of a potent fertilizer.

Plant materials have been used for pest control for centuries currently, however, only a few plant species are being used for pest control in various countries and that too primarily under traditional farming systems. Gliricidia sepium a leguminous tree belongs to the family Fabaceae (Chadhokar, 1982). Gliricidia, which literally means “Rat poison” originated in central America and its plantation, has spread to many parts of the world specifically South Asia. The plant is used for fuel wood, animal feed, green manure, shade, living fences and as support plants (Csurhes & Edwards, 1998). The leaves of G. sepium has a high feeding value with crude protein comprising 20-30% of the dry matter a crude fiber content of about 15% and in vitro dry matter digestibility of 60-65% (Adejumo & Ademosin, 1985; Gohl, 1981).

Kakawate defoliates during dry season and flowers at the same time. So you could just imagine how odd-looking but beautiful Kakawate is during the dry season-leafless tree with nothing but branches and flowers. The flowers are pea-like with petals that are usually lavender, pink or white. It also bears fruits that look like a leathery pod and seeded.

Since kakawate is a legume, it is useful for fixing nitrogen in the soil, thus improving soil quality and increasing crop yields. Kakawate has strong roots. It stabilizes sloping lands and reduces soil erosion. Its wood could be used as firewood, hedges, and fencing field. The leaves are rich in nitrogen and other nutrients suitable for green manure and fodder to farm animals.

The innovative uses of Kakawate are not limited to fodder and firewood. Farmers have often overlooked the other important uses of Kakawate-as rodenticide and insecticide.

The bark of Kakawate is stripped and cooked with grains like corn or rice and used as poisonous bait for rodents. The advantage of Kakawate as bait is that the rats do not develop bait shyness that is common in using synthetic rodenticide. The Kakawate has distinctive aroma that could attract the rodents that eventually, with the right amount could terminate them.

The active substance in Kakawate is not a rapidly acting substance and needs repeated doses for it to be effective. But unlike commercially prepared rat killers, it is less lethal in case of accidents. Farmers who used Kakawate observed that when rats eat it, their hands stiffen and they get bloated and die of hemorrhagic poison. After the bait was consumed it would take one to two days before the farmers could find them dead on the fields.