Botanical Name: Acacia saligna
Family: Fabaceae
Kingdom:Plantae
Order: Fabales
Clade: Mimosoideae
Genus: Acacia
Species: A. saligna
Common Names: Coojong, Golden wreath wattle, Orange wattle, Blue-leafed wattle, Western Australian golden wattle, Port Jackson willow. The Noongar peoples know the tree as Cujong
Habitat:
Acacia saligna is native to Australia, it is widely distributed throughout the south west corner of Western Australia, extending north as far as the Murchison River, and east to Israelite Bay.
Description:
Acacia saligna is an evergreen Shrub growing to 6 m (19ft) by 6 m (19ft) at a fast rate.
It is in leaf all year, in flower from February to May. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs).
It can fix Nitrogen.
It grows as a small, dense, spreading tree with a short trunk and a weeping habit. It grows up to eight metres tall. Like many Acacia species, it has phyllodes rather than true leaves; these can be up to 25 centimetres long. At the base of each phyllode is a nectary gland, which secretes a sugary fluid. This attracts ants, which are believed to reduce the numbers of leaf-eating insects. The yellow flowers appear in early spring and late winter, in groups of up to ten bright yellow spherical flower heads. The fruit is a legume, while the seed is oblong and dark to black in colour.
A natural colonizer, Coojong tends to grow wherever soil has been disturbed, such as alongside new roads. Its seeds are distributed by ants, which store them in their nests to eat the seed-stalks. Disturbance of the soil brings them to the surface and allows them to germinate. Seeds germinate readily, and hundreds of seedlings can sometimes be found beneath a single parent tree. It is also extremely vigorous when young, often growing over a metre per year.
Cultivation:
Prefers a sandy loam and a very sunny position[1, 260], though it also succeeds in dry soils and is tolerant of wet conditions. Succeeds in any good garden soil that is not excessively limey. Most species become chlorotic on limey soils. Tolerates salt-laden winds and maritime exposure. An extremely rugged tree, it grows rapidly, is adaptable to barren slopes, derelict land, and exceptionally arid conditions. Reported from the Australian Centre of Diversity, orange wattle, or cvs thereof, is reported to tolerate alkalinity, drought, heavy soil, poor soil, salinity, salt spray, sand, shade, slope, waterlogging, and weeds. Trees are not very hardy outdoors in Britain, they tolerate occasional temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c, but even in the mildest areas of the country they are likely to be killed in excessively harsh winters. Plants spread by means of suckers and trees that have been killed in cold weather can sometimes regrow from the roots. Regrowth of established bushes is so good that Acacia saligna can be completely grazed off without harming the plants. Because of its hardiness and profuse reproductive abilities, Acacia saligna has become a serious menace in parts of South Africa by invading and displacing indigenous vegetation. It infests water courses (sometimes decreasing the water available for irrigation), and has proved difficult to eradicate. 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[200]. It also has a symbiotic relationship with ants.
Edible Uses:
Flowers – cooked. Rich in pollen, they are often used in fritters. The damaged bark exudes copious amounts of a very acidic gum that seems to show promise for use in pickles and other acidic foodstuffs.
Medicinal Uses: Not kown to us.
Other Uses:
Acacia saligna can be used for multiple purposes, as it grows under a wide range of soil conditions into a woody shrub or tree. It has been used for tanning, revegetation, animal fodder, mine site rehabilitation, firewood, mulch, agroforestry and as a decorative plant.
Acacia saligna has been planted extensively in semi-arid areas of Africa, South America and the Middle East as windbreaks and for stabilisation of sand dunes or erosion.
A yellow dye is obtained from the flowers. A green dye is obtained from the seed pods[168]. On a 10% moisture basis, the bark contains 21.5% tannin. A fast growing plant, it is used for reclaiming eroded hillsides and wastelands and for stabilizing drift sands as well as for fuel. This is one of the best woody species for binding moving sand. It is useful for windbreaks, amenity plantings, beautification projects, and roadside stabilization in semiarid regions. Plants are heavily armed with thorns and make a good screen or hedge in warm temperate areas.
Disclaimer : The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplement, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acacia_saligna
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Acacia+saligna
