Sixteen multipurpose tree and shrub species (MPTs) for agroforestry were planted in a screening trial at Chalimbana near Lusaka, Zambia in December 1987. The trial was at 1280 m altitude on a sandy loam belonging to the luvisol-pharzem soil group, under unimodal rainfall (mean 880 mm). One year after planting all the 16 species except Sesbania grandiflora showed excellent survival. Sesbania sesban, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Eucalyptus grandis, Leucaena leucocephala, Cassia siamea, Flemingia congesta and Acacia polyacantha var. compylacantha grew fast with high volume and biomass production. An assessment made 28 months after planting showed these species to be 3.5–6.8 m in height, 8.0–14.3 cm basal diameter, 10–57 m3 ha?1 standing volume and 19.0–57.7 tons ha?1 above ground biomass (dry weight basis). Sesbania species had short life-spans (1 year for Sesbania macrantha and 2.5 years for Sesbania sesban) but had outstanding growth and biomass production. This makes them ideal candidate MPTs for improved fallows, enrichment of fodder banks and green manure production. L. leucocephala, Cassia siamea and F. congesta have potential for testing in alley cropping, rotational fallows and other technologies while Acacia polyacantha can be tested in mixed intercropping.