Acacia dealbata
| Acacia dealbata | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 8 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-7.3 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 82' |
| Width: | 26' |
| Speed: | Fast |
| Blooms: | Mid Winter-Late Winter |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
Acacia dealbata (common name: mimosa)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a sunny position in a warm greenhouse[1]. Stored seed should be scarified, pre-soaked for 12 hours in warm water and then sown in a warm greenhouse in March. The seed germinates in 3 - 4 weeks at 25°c[2]. As soon as the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots and grow them on in a sunny position in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts, and consider giving them some protection from the cold for their first winter outdoors.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood with a heel, July/August in individual pots in a frame[3]. Overwinter in a greenhouse for the first winter and plant out in their permanent positions in late spring or early summer. Fair percentage[3].
Cultivation: Prefers a sandy loam and a very sunny position sheltered from strong winds[1][4]. Succeeds in any good garden soil that is lime-free[4]. Plants become chlorotic on limey soils[5]. They grow well in a hot dry position[6], and are very drought tolerant[7]. Fast growing[8]. Although it prefers a well-drained soil, the plant is tolerant of both drought and wet conditions[9].
Hardy to about -10°c, this species succeeds outdoors in the milder areas of Britain[4][10], growing well in Cornwall[11][12]. If it is cut down by frosts it usually resprouts from the base to form a thicket of slender stems[6]. It can be trained and grown against a sunny wall[13]. Plants require hot, sunny summers if they are to ripen their wood fully and flower freely. In Britain they tend to do best when grown in coastal gardens in a sunny, sheltered position that is protected from the wind[4].
This species is closely allied to A. decurrens[4].
Old specimens sucker very freely, often at considerable distances from the parent tree[5]. Plants can be coppiced[14].
A very ornamental tree[1], there are some named varieties[9]. The species is cultivated in S. Europe for ornament, timber and soil stabilization[15]. The flowers are very attractive and are often sold in florists[4][16]. The violet-like perfume of the flowers can be quite intoxicating on a calm day[7].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[5].
Range: Australia - Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania. Naturalized in S. Europe[15].
Habitat: In many habitats by streams, gullies and alpine ridges[17][10]. Dry forests[9].
Edibility: Flowers - cooked[18]. Rich in pollen, they are often used in fritters.
A gum that exudes naturally from the trunk is edible and is used as a substitute for Gum Arabic[19]. It is very soluble in water and viscous[19][20], but is of low quality[21]. Larger quantities can be obtained by tapping the trunk[21]. Some species produce a gum that is dark and is liable to be astringent and distasteful, but others produce a light gum and this is sweet and pleasant. It can be sucked like candy or soaked in water to make a jelly[22].. The gum can be warmed when it becomes soft and chewable[22].
Usage: A yellow dye is obtained from the flowers[23].
A green dye is obtained from the seed pods[23].
The extensive root system of this plant helps to prevent soil erosion[5].
Tannin is obtained from the bark[16][24]. On a 10% moisture basis, the bark contains 19.1% tannin[25].
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: A. decurrens dealbata.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Rice, Graham. Growing from Seed Volume 1. Thompson and Morgan, 1987.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Taylor, Jane. The Milder Garden. Dent, 1990.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ RHS. The Garden Volume 112. Royal Horticultural Society, 1987.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2. Pan Books, London, 1998.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Shrubs. Pan Books, 1989.
- ↑ Arnold-Forster, William. Shrubs for the Milder Counties.
- ↑ Thurston, Edgar. Trees and Shrubs in Cornwall. Cambridge University Press, 1930.
- ↑ Davis, Brian. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking, 1990.
- ↑ Rice, Graham. Growing from Seed Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan, 1988.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Tutin, Tom et al.. Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press, 1964.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Ewart, Alfred. Recording Census of the Victorian Flora. 1923.
- ↑ Cribb, Alan and Joan Cribb. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana, 1976.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Brooker, Stanley. Economic Native Plants of New Zealand. Oxford University Press, 1991.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Howes, Frank. Vegetable Gums and Resins. Chronica Botanica, 1949.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Low, Tim. Wild Food Plants of Australia. Angus and Robertson, 1989.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.
- ↑ Hill, Albert. Economic Botany. The Maple Press, 1952.
- ↑ Rottsieper, E. Vegetable Tannins. The Forestal Land, 1946.