Acacia decurrens
| Acacia decurrens | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-7.3 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 39' |
| Speed: | Fast |
| Blooms: | Mid Spring |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
Acacia decurrens (common name: green wattle)
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 light sandy loam and a very sunny position sheltered from strong winds[1][4][5]. Succeeds in any good garden soil that is not excessively limey[6], it also succeeds in dry soils. Most species in this genus become chlorotic on limey soils[7].
Plants tolerate temperatures down to about -5°c[8]. This species is one of the hardiest members of the genus, it succeeds outdoors in the milder areas of the country, but even in Cornwall it can be killed back to the ground in excessively harsh winters[6]. It will, however, usually resprout from the base. 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[6].
A fast-growing and very ornamental tree[1][8], it is closely related to A. dealbata.[6].
The cultivar 'Mollis' is notably resistant to honey fungus.[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[7].
Range: Australia - New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria.
Habitat: Sheltered forests, mainly on shales and sandstone[9]. Usually on cool moist hills and gullies[10].
Edibility: Flowers - cooked[11]. 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 in making jellies etc[12][13][14]. It is insoluble in water[9] and is of low quality[15]. Larger quantities can be obtained by tapping the trunk[15]. 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[16].. The gum can be warmed when it becomes soft and chewable[16].
Medicinal: The bark is astringent[17][9]. It should be stored for 12 months before being used[17]. Its main use is in the treatment of diarrhoea[17].
Usage: A yellow dye is obtained from the flowers[18].
A green dye is obtained from the seed pods[18].
The extensive root system of this plant helps to prevent soil erosion[7].
Often grown as a screen in Australia[19].
The bark contains about 40% tannin[20][21]. On a 10% moisture basis, the bark contains 36.6% tannin[22].
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: Mimosa decurrens.
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.
- ↑ Arnold-Forster, William. Shrubs for the Milder Counties.
- ↑ Polunin, Oleg. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press, 1987.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2. Pan Books, London, 1998.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Brooker, Stanley. Economic Native Plants of New Zealand. Oxford University Press, 1991.
- ↑ Holliday, Ivan and Ron Hill. A Field Guide to Australian Trees. Frederick Muller, 1974.
- ↑ Cribb, Alan and Joan Cribb. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana, 1976.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Howes, Frank. Vegetable Gums and Resins. Chronica Botanica, 1949.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Low, Tim. Wild Food Plants of Australia. Angus and Robertson, 1989.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.
- ↑ Wrigley, John and Murray Fagg. Australian Native Plants. Collins, 1988.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Hill, Albert. Economic Botany. The Maple Press, 1952.
- ↑ Rottsieper, E. Vegetable Tannins. The Forestal Land, 1946.