Spiny Holdback, Tara
Caesalpinia spinosa

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

Found in South America, Spiny Holdback, Caesalpinia spinosa, is a spiny, evergreen tree up to 8m tall and 5 m wide. It has an erect and slender trunk and it is rich in tannins. Seedpods yield a powder that is used as eyewash. The seed?s endosperm is a source of gum used as a thickening agent and stabilizer in food. Common names: Spiny Holdback, Tailin, Vainilla, Tallo, Tara.

Caesalpinia spinosa is an evergreen Tree growing to 6 m (19ft) by 6 m (19ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10 and is frost tender. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant is not wind tolerant.

Height (m): 6

Where it is found

Forests and semi desert areas of the Interandine region, along the higher, cooler, inner slopes of both Cordilleras of Ecuador.

S. America - Argentina, northern Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed.

Countries/locations it is found in

Found In: Australia, Cuba, Ecuador, South America.

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

The endosperm of the seed (22% of the total seed weight) yields a gum of commercial value. It is a white to yellowish powder and consists chiefly of galactomannan-type polysaccharides. The gum is used as a thickening agent and stabilizer in the food industry.

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Gum: can be chewed as a chewing gum or can often be used as a sweetener or thickening agent in foods.

Medicine

Rating: 2

The powder contained within the seedpods is used as an eyewash. An infusions of the pods is used in Peru for inflamed tonsils or washing wounds; it is also used for fevers, colds and stomach aches.

Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.

Ophthalmic: Treats eye complaints.

Other

Rating: 4

Other uses rating: High (4/5). Agroforestry Uses: The plant is sometimes grown as a live fence in Peru. Other Uses: The pods contain around 50% tannin, about twice as much as sumac (Rhus spp). An excellent source of environmentally friendly tannins (tara tannins) most commonly used in the manufacture of automotive and furniture leathers. The high content of hydrolysable tan has made it interesting for the extraction of gallic acid and ink manufacturing. Sticks of the wood are split up finely; urine is poured over the pieces of wood, which are then set out in the sun. Urine is repeatedly poured over them, until they are well soaked. After airing, the sticks are boiled in water, together with red tiri (Stereoxylon resinosum) and woollen or cotton fabrics. The dye produced is a purplish red. The dried fruit is boiled with a bit of soot and woollens soaked in iron sulphate or vitriol without acid. The fabric produced will be dyed a beautiful clove colour. A gum is obtained from the seed. It is used in the food industry. The wood is durable. This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds. Grown as an ornamental plant because of its large colorful flowers and pods.

Dye: Plants that provide dyes.

Fencing: Plants that can be used for fencing.

Gum: Gums have a wide range of uses, especially as stabilizers, emulsifiers, thickening agents, adhesives etc.

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.

Attracts Wildlife: Plants noted for attracting wildlife

How it is grown

A plant of higher elevations in the Andean mountains, it has been cultivated from the warm temperate to the very dry and seasonally wet tropics. It can grow in areas where the mean annual temperatures are within the range 14° - 28°c, and the mean annual rainfall is in the range 660 - 1,730mm. Succeeds in full sun and partial sun. Prefers a pH in the range 6.8 - 7.5. A fast-growing plant. Although many species within the family Fabaceae have a symbiotic relationship with soil bacteria, this species is said to be devoid of such a relationship and therefore does not fix atmospheric nitrogen.

Propagating it: Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and benefits from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing. Direct sow outdoors in fall . Seed Collecting: Allow seedheads to dry on plants; remove and collect seeds. Properly cleaned, seed can be successfully stored.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 9-11

Growth: Fast

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

The high tannin content of the pods may be lethal if consumed in large quantities by animals.

Its other names

Local names

Spiny Holdback, Caesalpinia spinosa. Common names: Spiny Holdback, Tailin, Vainilla, Tallo, Tara.

Synonyms

Caesalpinia pectinata Cav. Caesalpinia tara Ruiz & Pav. Caesalpinia tinctoria (Kunth) Benth. Caesalp