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    Home»Herbs and Spices»Facts about Silver Wattle
    Herbs and Spices

    Facts about Silver Wattle

    By SylviaMarch 28, 2019Updated:March 29, 2019No Comments13 Mins Read
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    Facts about Silver Wattle

    Silver wattle Quick Facts
    Name: Silver wattle
    Scientific Name: Acacia dealbata
    Origin Southeastern Australia in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory
    Colors Bluish-green when young and generally turn grayish-brown or purplish-brown in color as they mature
    Shapes Flattened pod 2–11.5 cm long and 6–14 mm broad, containing several seeds
    Health benefits Beneficial for treating diarrhea, dysentery, internal bleeding, wounds, skin problems, hemorrhoids, perspiring feet and some eye problems
    Silver wattle scientifically known as Acacia dealbata is a species of Acacia belonging to the Fabaceae ⁄ Leguminosae (Pea family). The plant is native to southeastern Australia in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory and widely introduced in Mediterranean, warm temperate, and highland tropical landscapes. It favors disturbed places in coastal prairies, riparian areas and coniferous forests. The Latin specific epithet dealbata also means “covered in a white powder”. Few of the popular common names of the plant are Mimosa, Silver wattle, Sydney black wattle, Wattle bark, black wattle, blue wattle and Tasmania mimosa.

    Silver wattle is often confused with green wattle (Acacia decurrens), but is distinguishable by the small, silvery hairs that grow on its twigs. It spreads via rhizomes and seeds, and easily re-sprouts after being cut. Acacia dealbata changes soil chemistry by fixing nitrogen and the plants’ fallen leaves may have allopathic effects that prevent the growth of native understory plants. Like many acacias, silver wattle is commonly planted as an ornamental. The plant is attractive to wildlife, and also is commonly grown by the cut-flower industry both for its foliage and flowers. It also is known for its Nitrogen fixing abilities that benefit other plants growing nearby as well as the tree itself.

    Plant Description

    Silver wattle is a large, unarmed, fast-growing evergreen spreading tree or bushy shrub that grows about 1.5-10 m tall, but occasionally reaching up to 30 m in height. The plant is found growing in railways, roadside, natural forests, natural grasslands, riverbanks, montane forests, along watercourses, in dry sclerophyllous forests and woodlands. The plant requires well-drained and slightly acidic soil.

    Stems

    The bark of this species is mostly smooth and either grey, grayish-brown, brown or dark brown in color. However, older trunks may become deeply fissured. Younger branches are rounded or slightly angular with ridges towards their tips. These branches are usually finely hairy and conspicuously bluish-green (i.e. glaucous) or whitish in color due to the presence of a powdery substance (i.e. they are pruinose). The young foliage-tips are white, whitish-yellow or cream-colored and densely covered in fine hairs (i.e. velvety-tomentose).

    Leaves

    The leaves are twice-compound (i.e. bipinnate) and usually somewhat bluish-grey or silvery-green in color (i.e. they are slightly to very glaucous). These leaves are 6-17 cm long and are alternately arranged along the stems and have a short hairy leaf stalk (i.e. petiole) that is 1 to 15 mm long. The extension of this stalk (i.e. rachis), which bears numerous (10-30) pairs of leaf branchlets (i.e. pinnae), is 3-17 cm long (usually 5-10 cm long). It is finely hairy and bears a small raised structure (i.e. gland) at the junction of the each of the pairs of branchlets (i.e. pinnae). The leaf branchlets (15-55 mm long) each bear numerous (14-68) pairs of small, narrowly oblong to linear leaflets (i.e. pinnules). These leaflets are 1.5-6 mm long and 0.4-1 mm wide and are very crowded and have rounded or pointed tips (i.e. obtuse to acute apices). Their upper surfaces are mostly hairless (i.e. glabrous), while their margins and lower surfaces are usually finely hairy (i.e. pubescent).

    Flowers

    The small yellow or golden-yellow flowers are very fluffy in appearance due to the presence of numerous stamens. These flowers have five relatively inconspicuous petals and sepals and are densely arranged into small globular clusters (4-7.5 mm across), each containing 22-42 flowers. The small globular flower clusters are borne on short stalks (i.e. peduncles) 2-6 mm long that are finely hairy and usually whitish-grey in color. These globular flower clusters are alternately arranged along a small branch originating from the forks (i.e. axils) of the leaves, or occasionally borne at the tip of the stem. The branches are often somewhat zigzagged in nature and may or may not be branched (i.e. they form axillary or terminal racemes or panicles). Flowering generally occurs during late winter and spring (i.e. from July to November).

    Fruit

    Fertile flowers are followed by an elongated and somewhat flattened pod (20-115 mm long and 6-14 mm wide). These pods are not, or only slightly, constricted between some or all of the seeds and are either straight or slightly curved. They are bluish-green (i.e. glaucous) or covered in a whitish powdery substance (i.e. pruinose) when young and generally turn greyish-brown or purplish-brown in color as they mature. Fruit are normally present during late spring and summer (i.e. mostly from November to January, but sometimes through to March). Each pod contains several seeds (about 4 mm long) that have a small fleshy structure (i.e. aril) attached to them.

    Silver Wattle Image Gallery
    Bark-of-Silver-Wattle Bark-of-Silver-Wattle
    Closer-view-of-flower-of-Silver-Wattle Closer-view-of-flower-of-Silver-Wattle
    Closer-view-of-leaves-of-Silver-Wattle Closer-view-of-leaves-of-Silver-Wattle
    Flowering-buds-of-Silver-Wattle Flowering-buds-of-Silver-Wattle
    Flowers-of--Silver-Wattle Flowers-of--Silver-Wattle
    Immature-fruits-of-Silver-Wattle Immature-fruits-of-Silver-Wattle
    Leaves-of-Silver-Wattle Leaves-of-Silver-Wattle
    Mature-seed-pods-of-Silver-Wattle Mature-seed-pods-of-Silver-Wattle
    Plant-Illustration-of-Silver-Wattle Plant-Illustration-of-Silver-Wattle
    Seeds-and-pods-of-Silver-Wattle Seeds-and-pods-of-Silver-Wattle
    Seeds-of-Silver-Wattle Seeds-of-Silver-Wattle
    Silver-Wattle-Tree Silver-Wattle-Tree
    Sketch-of-Silver-Wattle Sketch-of-Silver-Wattle
    Trunk-of-Silver-Wattle Trunk-of-Silver-Wattle
    Young-Silver-Wattle-plant Young-Silver-Wattle-plant
    Some Similar Species of Silver Wattle

    Silver wattle (Acacia dealbata subsp. dealbata) may be confused with several other native wattles (Acacia spp.) including black wattle (Acacia mearnsii), Sydney green wattle (Acacia decurrens), green wattle (Acacia irrorata), northern silver wattle (Acacia leucoclada), Bodalla silver wattle (Acacia silvestris), dwarf silver wattle (Acacia nanodealbata), Cootamundra wattle (Acacia baileyana) and Karri wattle (Acacia pentadenia). These species can be distinguished by the following differences:

    Silver wattle

    Silver wattle

    Silver wattle has young branches and foliage tips that are finely hairy and whitish-green or whitish-yellow in color. Its silvery-grey leaves have numerous (10-30) pairs of hairy branchlets. These leaves are shortly stalked and there is usually a small raised structure near the top of this leaf stalk. There are also similar glands at the junction of the each of the pairs of branchlets. The leaflets are relatively small (1.5-6 mm long) and usually quite elongated in shape. Its flowers are yellow or golden yellow and borne in small globular clusters, which are arranged into larger elongated compound, clusters (i.e. racemes or panicles). The pods are relatively large (20-115 mm long and 6-14 mm wide).

    Black wattle

    Black wattle

    Black wattle (Acacia mearnsii) has young branches and foliage tips that are finely hairy and yellow or greenish-yellow in color. Its dark green leaves have numerous (7-31) pairs of hairy branchlets. These leaves are shortly stalked and there is usually a small raised structure near the top of this leaf stalk. There are also similar glands at the junction of the each of the pairs of branchlets, and also between some or all pairs of branchlets. The leaflets are quite small (1-3.5 mm long) and usually not particularly elongated in shape. Its flowers are pale yellow or cream-colored and borne in small globular clusters, which are arranged into larger elongated compound clusters (i.e. racemes or panicles). The pods are relatively large (30-150 mm long and 4-8 mm wide).

    Sydney green wattle

    Sydney green wattle

    Sydney green wattle (Acacia decurrens) has young branches with conspicuous flanges and foliage tips that are mostly hairless and yellowish in color. Its dark green leaves have several to numerous (3-13) pairs of hairless branchlets. These leaves are shortly stalked and there is usually a small raised structure near the top of this leaf stalk. There are also similar glands at the junction of the each of the pairs of branchlets. The leaflets are quite large (5-15 mm long) and very narrow. Its flowers are yellow or golden yellow and borne in small globular clusters, which are arranged into larger elongated compound, clusters. The pods are relatively large (20-105 mm long and 4-9 mm wide).

    Green wattle

    Green wattle

    Green wattle (Acacia irrorata) has young branches and foliage tips that are finely hairy and yellow, greenish yellow or orange in color. Its dark green leaves have numerous (5-26) pairs of hairy branchlets. These leaves are shortly stalked and there is no small raised structure near the top of this leaf stalk. There are small glands at the junction of the some of the pairs of branchlets. The leaflets are relatively small (2-5 mm long) and usually quite elongated in shape. Its flowers are pale yellow or cream-colored and borne in small globular clusters, which are arranged into larger elongated compound clusters. The pods are relatively large (20-120 mm long and 5-12 mm wide).

    Northern silver wattle

    Northern silver wattle

    Northern silver wattle (Acacia leucoclada) has young branches and foliage tips that are finely hairy and silvery or whitish in color. Its silvery or green leaves have numerous (5-18) pairs of hairy branchlets. These leaves are shortly stalked and there is sometimes a small raised structure near the top of this leaf stalk. There are also similar glands at the junction of some or all of the pairs of branchlets, and also between several of the pairs of branchlets. The leaflets are relatively small (1-6 mm long) and usually quite elongated in shape. Its flowers are yellow or golden yellow and borne in small globular clusters, which are arranged into larger elongated compound, clusters. The pods are relatively large (30-120 mm long and 4-12 mm wide).

    Bodalla silver wattle

    Bodalla silver wattle

    Bodalla silver wattle (Acacia silvestris) has young branches and foliage tips that are finely hairy and whitish, grey or yellow in color. Its green or silvery-green leaves have numerous (5-18) pairs of mostly hairless branchlets. These leaves are shortly stalked and there are sometimes one or more small raised structures near the top of this leaf stalk. There are also similar glands at the junction of all of the pairs of branchlets, and also one or more glands between each of the pairs of branchlets. The leaflets are relatively large (3-11 mm long) and usually quite elongated in shape. Its flowers are yellow and borne in small globular clusters, which are arranged into larger elongated compound clusters. The pods are relatively large (40-155 mm long and 6-10 mm wide).

    Dwarf silver wattle

    Dwarf silver wattle

    Dwarf silver wattle (Acacia nanodealbata) has young branches and foliage tips that are finely hairy and yellow or greenish-yellow in color. Its dark green leaves have numerous (6-26) pairs of mostly hairless branchlets. These leaves are shortly stalked and there is sometimes a small raised structure near the top of this leaf stalk. There are also prominent glands at the junction of all of the pairs of branchlets. The leaflets are very small (1-2.5 mm long) and usually not particularly elongated in shape. Its flowers are golden yellow and borne in small globular clusters, which are arranged into larger elongated compound clusters. The pods are relatively large (30-85 mm long and 9-20 mm wide).

    Cootamundra wattle

    Cootamundra wattle

    Cootamundra wattle (Acacia baileyana) has young branches and foliage tips that are hairless or slightly hairy and bluish-green or occasionally purplish in color. Its silvery-grey leaves have only a few (2-6) pairs of branchlets. These leaves are almost stalk less and the lowermost pair of branchlets are angled backwards (i.e. reflexed). There are small raised structures (i.e. glands) at the junction of the upper few pairs of branchlets. The leaflets are relatively small (3-8 mm long) and somewhat elongated in shape. Its flowers are yellow or golden yellow and borne in small globular clusters, which are arranged into larger elongated compound, clusters. The pods are relatively large (30-120 mm long and 8-15 mm wide).

    Karri wattle

    Karri wattle

    Karri wattle (Acacia pentadenia) has young branches and foliage tips that are hairless and greenish in color. Its dark green leaves have only a few (2-5) pairs of branchlets. These leaves are almost stalk less and the lowermost pair of branchlets are very small. There are small raised structures near the junctions of each of the pairs of branchlets. The leaflets are relatively small (3-6 mm long) and somewhat elongated in shape. Its flowers are pale yellow or cream-colored and borne in small globular clusters, with only a few (2-4) of these clusters being arranged into short compound clusters. The pods are relatively small (20-50 mm long and only 3-4 mm wide).

    Traditional uses and benefits of Silver wattle

    • The essential oil is soothing and reducing the nerves, astringent and antiseptic.
    • They are used in the treatment of diarrhea and dysentery, and can also be helpful in cases of internal bleeding.
    • When applied externally, as a wash, they are used to treat wounds and other skin problems, hemorrhoids, perspiring feet, some eye problems, as a mouth wash etc.

    Culinary Uses

    • Flowers are rich in pollen; they are often used in fritters.
    • Gum that exudes naturally from the trunk is edible and is used as a substitute for Gum Arabic.
    • Larger quantities can be obtained by tapping the trunk.
    • Some species produce a gum that is dark and is liable to be astringent and distasteful, but others produce a light gum and this is sweet and pleasant.
    • It can be sucked like candy or soaked in water to make a jelly.
    • Gum can be warmed when it becomes soft and chew able.
    • Leaves are sometimes used in Indian chutney.

    Other facts

    • Yellow dye is obtained from the flowers.
    • Green dye is obtained from the seed pods.
    • Extensive root system of this plant helps to prevent soil erosion.
    • Tannin is obtained from the bark.
    • It is a satisfactory fuel wood, is used as a furniture timber and occasionally for wood wool, poles, and has good gluing properties.
    • Its kraft pulping and paper making properties make it suitable for a range of paper and paperboard products such as liner boards, bag and wrapping papers, white boards and writing and printing paper.
    • Flowers are used for perfume production and French manufacturers recognize the extract for its ability as a blender and ‘smoothing agent’ for synthetics and as a fixative in high grade perfume.
    • dealbata is a valuable source of pollen for bees.
    • Its gum may be used as a substitute for gum Arabic and occasionally its bark is used for tanning production but is lower yielding and poorer quality when compared with A. mearnsii.
    • Wool may be dyed yellow-fawn or green using A. dealbata leaves depending on the mordents used.
    • Its young branches and immature fruit have a whitish-colored powdery or waxy coating that gives them a frosty appearance.
    • It has been used in windbreaks and also to control soil erosion, stabilizes hillsides and gullies.
    • An essential oil obtained from the flowers is used as a fixative in high-grade perfumery products.
    • In some European countries, the flowers are frequently given to Women on International Women’s day.

    Prevention and Control

    Cultural Control

    Fire can be used as a control device as it can reduce the soil seedbank by killing seeds or inducing germination which can then be chemically controlled. Note that in cultivation, fire has been used to encourage regeneration in older plantations. Single hot fire favors regeneration of mature acacia stands. After a fire in Sri Lanka, up to 32,000 seedlings per hectare were found and at two years of age had an average height of 3-4m.

    Mechanical Control

    Weber, 2003 reports mechanical control by ring barking or digging out plants.

    Chemical Control

    Methods of chemical control are drawn by Delabraze and Valette, Fagg and Flinn, Fagg and Cameron and Campbell et al. but they are expensive. Weber 2003 lists approaches including chemical control by basal stem treatment, stump treatment or foliar application.

    Biological Control

    Biological control methods are available but are not suitable in regions where other acacias are in commercial use, eg. Black wattle for tannin.

    Integrated Control

    Cut stumps need to be treated with herbicides to prevent re-sprouting and should be kept less than 15 cm in height while follow up removal of emerging seedlings, control of coppice growth etc. should occur after large clearing attempts.

    References:

    https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=26425#null

    https://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2499/

    http://www.hear.org/pier/species/acacia_dealbata.htm

    https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=819

    https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Acacia+dealbata

    https://www.cabi.org/ISC/datasheet/2207#FF0D6094-DEF1-4A03-9FBF-BF75B57D3504

    http://www.floracatalana.net/acacia-dealbata-link

    https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=ACDE3

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acacia_dealbata

    http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/ild-389

    https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/ACADA

    https://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/263282

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    Silver Wattle Facts

    Name Silver wattle
    Scientific Name Acacia dealbata
    Native Southeastern Australia in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory and widely introduced in Mediterranean, warm temperate, and highland tropical landscapes
    Common Names Mimosa, Silver wattle, Sydney black wattle, Wattle bark, black wattle, blue wattle, Tasmania mimosa
    Name in Other Languages Afrikaans:  Silwerwattel
    Albanian: Akacie
    Arabic:  Sint mubid (سنط مبيض)
    Catalan: Mimosa, Mimosa argentada, Mimosa comuna
    Chinese:  Yin jing (银荆 )
    Croatian: Akacija
    Czech:  Akácie bílá, Kapinice bělavá
    Danish:  Sølvakacie
    Dutch: Mimosa
    English:  Mimosa, Silver wattle, Sydney black wattle (Aust.), Wattle bark, blue wattle, silver green wattle            
    Estonian:  Hõbeakaatsia
    French:  Acacia Bernier, Acacia blanc, Mimosa, Mimosa argenté, Mimosa d’hiver, Mimosa des fleuristes, acacia blanchâtre, mimosa blanchissant, mimosa commun, mimosa de Bormes, mimosa de Nice
    German:  Mimose, Silber-Akazie, Silberakazie, Silberne Akazie,  Weißliche Akazie, australische Silberakazie, Mimosenbaum
    Hindi:  Rajata galacarma (रजत गलचर्म)
    Hungarian:  Ezüst akácia
    Italian:  Acacia Bianca, acacia dealbata, mimosa 
    Japanese:Hana akashia (ハナアカシア), fusa-akashia
    Korean:  Kkoch-akasia (꽃아카시아)
    Netherlands: Mimosa
    Polish:  Akacja srebrzysta
    Portuguese:  Acacia-da-Australia, Acácia-prateada, acácia-branca, acácia-dealbada, acácia-mimosa, mimosa
    Russian:  Akatsiia belovataia (Акация беловатая), Akatsiia serebristaia (Акация серебристая), Akatsiia podbelennaia (Акация подбелённая), Mimoza serebristaia (Мимоза серебристая)
    Spanish:  Acacia de hoja azul, Acacia francesa, Aroma, Aromo, Aromo del pais, Aromo francés, aromo de castilla, acacia australiana, acacia mimosa, Alcacia, alcarcia, mimosa
    Swedish:  Silverakacia
    Turkish:  Gümüşiakasya, Mimoza
    Plant Growth Habit Large, unarmed, fast-growing evergreen spreading tree or bushy shrub
    Growing Climates Railways, roadside, natural forests, natural grasslands and riverbanks, montane forests, along watercourses, in dry sclerophyllous forests and woodlands
    Soil Require well-drained, slightly acidic soil
    Plant Size 1.5-10 m tall, but occasionally reaching up to 30 m in height
    Bark Mostly smooth and either grey, greyish-brown, brown or dark brown in color. However, older trunks may become deeply fissured
    Stem Young stems and new growth are smoother and lighter in color
    Leaf Bipinnate, glaucous blue-green to silvery grey, 1–12 cm (occasionally to 17 cm) long and 1–11 cm broad, with 6–30 pairs of pinnae, each pinna divided into 10–68 pairs of leaflets; the leaflets are 0.7–6 mm long and 0.4–1 mm broad
    Flowering season January to February
    Flower Flowers are produced in large racemose inflorescences made up of numerous smaller globose bright yellow flower heads of 13–42 individual flowers
    Fruit Shape & Size Flattened pod 2–11.5 cm long and 6–14 mm broad, containing several seeds
    Fruit Color Bluish-green or covered in a whitish powdery substance when young and generally turn greyish-brown or purplish-brown in color as they mature
    Lifespan 30 to 40 years
    Propagation By seed and rhizomes
    Plant Parts Used Flowers and buds

    Silver wattle Scientific Classification

    Scientific Name: Acacia dealbata

    Rank Scientific Name & (Common Name)
    Kingdom Plantae (Plants)
    Subkingdom Tracheobionta (Vascular plants)
    Infrakingdom Streptophyta  (land plants)
    Superdivision Spermatophyta (Seed plants)
    Division Magnoliophyta (Flowering plants)
    Subdivision Spermatophytina  (spermatophytes, seed plants, phanérogames)
    Class Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledons)
    Subclass Rosidae
    Superorder Rosanae
    Order Fabales
    Family Fabaceae ⁄ Leguminosae (Pea family)
    Genus Acacia Mill. (acacia)
    Species Acacia dealbata Link (silver wattle)
    Synonyms
    • Acacia affinis Sweet
    • Acacia dealbata A.Cunn.
    • Acacia decurrens var. dealbata (Link) F.Muell.
    • Acacia decurrens var. dealbata (Link) Maiden
    • Acacia derwentii Siebert & Voss
    • Acacia furfuracea G.Don
    • Acacia puberula Dehnh.
    • Racosperma dealbatum (Link) Pedley
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