Blackwood, Australia Acacia, Black Acacia, Blackwood Acacia
Acacia melanoxylon
Family: Fabaceae or Leguminosae
What it is like
Bloom Color: Brown, Yellow. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Late spring, Mid spring. Form: Spreading or horizontal, Upright or erect.
Acacia melanoxylon is an evergreen Tree growing to 30 m (98ft 5in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8. It is in leaf all year, in flower in April. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.
Height (m): 30
Where it is found
Wet forests on good soils up to the montane zone. Usually an under-storey tree in Eucalyptus forests.
Australia - New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria. Locally naturalized in S.W. Europe.
Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed.
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Flowers - cooked. Rich in pollen, they are often used in fritters. The flowers have a penetrating scent.
Medicine
Rating: 1
Antirheumatic.
Antirheumatic: Treats rheumatism.
Other
Rating: 4
A yellow dye is obtained from the flowers. A green dye is obtained from the seed pods. The extensive root system of this plant helps to prevent soil erosion. The bark is rich in tannin. Wood - hard, dark, close grained, high quality, takes a high polish. Used for furniture, fittings etc.
Dye: Plants that provide dyes.
Soil stabilization: Plants that can be grown in places such as sand dunes in order to prevent erosion by wind, water or other agents.
Tannin: An astringent substance obtaied from plants, it is used medicinally, as a dye and mordant, stabilizer in pesticide etc.
Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.
Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil
Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Pest tolerant, Specimen, Street tree. Prefers a sandy loam and a very sunny position. Prefers a deep moist soil. Succeeds in a hot dry position. Succeeds in any good garden soil that is not excessively limey. Most members of this genus become chlorotic on limey soils. This is one of the hardier members of the genus, tolerating temperatures down to about -10°c. It succeeds outdoors in Britain from Dorset westwards, also in south-western Scotland and in Ireland. However, even in the mildest areas of the country it is liable to be cut back to the ground in excessively cold winters though it can resprout from the base. It is planted for timber in south-west Europe. This species produces both phyllodes (basically a flattened stem that looks and acts like a leaf) and true leaves. The roots are very vigorous and extensive - they often produce suckers and can damage the foundations of buildings. 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. Special Features:Attracts birds, Not North American native, Attractive flowers or blooms.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a sunny position in a warm greenhouse. 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. 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. Overwinter in a greenhouse for the first winter and plant out in their permanent positions in late spring or early summer. Fair percentage.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Secondary; Sunny Edge; South Wall. By. West Wall. By.
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 9-11
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Dry, moist
Things to keep in mind
This plant can be weedy or invasive in Hawaii.