Acacia longifolia
| Acacia longifolia | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 8 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 30' |
| Width: | 20' |
| Speed: | Moderate |
| Blooms: | Early Spring |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
Acacia longifolia (common name: sidney golden 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 sandy loam and a very sunny position.[1][4]. Succeeds in any good garden soil that is not excessively limey[5]. This species is fairly lime-tolerant[5][6]. Succeeds in a hot dry position[7] and in poor soils[8]. A fairly wind resistant tree, growing well in maritime areas[9][7][4]. Tolerates some salt in the soil[6].
Hardy to about -10°c for short periods[6], it can be grown outdoors in many of the milder areas of the country though, even in Cornwall, it is liable to be cut back to the ground in excessively cold winters[5]. It can resprout from the base[5]. Tasmanian provenances are the hardiest forms in British gardens[4].
Dislikes root disturbance[3].
A very ornamental plant[1].
The flowers are scented of violets[10].
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[6].
Range: Australia - New South Wales, Queensland, Southern Australia, Tasmania, Victoria.
Habitat: Sandy soils mainly by the coast[11].
Edibility: Flowers - cooked[12]. Rich in pollen, they are often used in fritters. The flowers have a violet-like fragrance[10].
Seed - roasted[13][14][15][16]. Starchy[17]. Rather small and fiddly to gather[K]. Acacia seeds are highly nutritious and contain approx 26% protein, 26% available carbohydrate, 32% fibre and 9% fat[18]. The fat content is higher than most legumes with the aril providing the bulk of fatty acids present[18]. These fatty acids are largely unsaturated which is a distinct health advantage although it presents storage problems as such fats readily oxidise[18]. The mean total carbohydrate content of 55.8 + 13.7% is lower than that of lentils, but higher than that of soybeans while the mean fibre content of 32.3 + 14.3% is higher than that of other legumes such as lentils with a level of 11.7%[18]. The energy content is high in all species tested, averaging 1480+270 kJ per 100g[18]. Wattle seeds are low glycaemic index foods. The starch is digested and absorbed very slowly, producing a small, but sustained rise in blood glucose and so delaying the onset of exhaustion in prolonged exercise[18].
Seedpods - roasted[17]. The pods are up to 10cm long[19].
Usage: A yellow dye is obtained from the flowers[20].
A green dye is obtained from the seed pods[20].
The extensive root system of this plant helps to prevent soil erosion[6]. It is used on sandy soils and steep banks[6].
Trees are planted as a screen in Australia[21].
This species is often grown as a rootstock for grafting lime-intolerant members of the genus[5].
Wood - pale, tough[22].
Soil: Can grow in light soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Wind: Tolerates strong winds
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: Mimosa longifolia.
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 3.2 Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Thomas, Graham. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray, 1992.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Taylor, Jane. The Milder Garden. Dent, 1990.
- ↑ Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Shrubs. Pan Books, 1989.
- ↑ Arnold-Forster, William. Shrubs for the Milder Counties.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 Lister, P. Wattleseed. 0.
- ↑ Grey-Wilson, Christopher and Victoria Matthews. Gardening on Walls. Collins, 1983.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.
- ↑ Wrigley, John and Murray Fagg. Australian Native Plants. Collins, 1988.
- ↑ Ewart, Alfred. Recording Census of the Victorian Flora. 1923.