Blue-Leaved Wattle, Orange wattle

Medicinal Uses

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Flowers | Edible Uses: GumFlowers - cooked[144]. 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[269].

Cultivation

Agroforestry Services: Nitrogen  Agroforestry Services: Windbreak  Fodder: Bank  Fodder: Pod  Industrial Crop: Biomass  Industrial Crop: Gum  Industrial Crop: Tannin  Management: Coppice  Management: Standard  Minor Global CropPrefers a sandy loam and a very sunny position[1, 260], though it also succeeds in dry soils and is tolerant of wet conditions[260]. Succeeds in any good garden soil that is not excessively limey[11, 260]. Most species become chlorotic on limey soils[200]. Tolerates salt-laden winds and maritime exposure[200]. An extremely rugged tree, it grows rapidly, is adaptable to barren slopes, derelict land, and exceptionally arid conditions[269]. 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[269]. 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[11]. Plants spread by means of suckers[200] 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[269]. 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[269]. It infests water courses (sometimes decreasing the water available for irrigation), and has proved difficult to eradicate[269]. 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[200].

Known Hazards

None known

Habitats

Sandy, coastal plains, but also in swampy sites and riverbanks to small, rocky hills (often granitic), on poor acid or calcareous sands, under the most dry and adverse soil conditions[269].