Acacia cambagei
Acacia cambagei
Safety & Hazards
Especially in times of drought, many Acacia species can concentrate high levels of the toxin Hydrogen cyanide in their foliage, making them dangerous for herbivores to eat.
Cultivation Details
Acacia cambagei is a plant of arid and semi-arid regions of central, northern and eastern Australia, where it is found at elevations up to 500 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 30°c, but can tolerate 5 - 40°c[1]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -1°c, but young growth is more tender and can be severely damaged at -1°c[1]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 200 - 500mm, but tolerates 125 - 600mm[1]. Requires a sunny position. Found mainly in heavier soils that can be quite alkaline, preferring well-drained conditions though tolerating occasional inundation[2]. Tolerant of moderately slaine soils[2]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7.5, tolerating 5.5 - 8.5[1]. The plant can withstand droughts of up to 5 months[1]. The plant can regenerate from suckers and basal shoots[2]. The tree has a moderate rate of growth[2]. The tree emits a strong, rather offensive smell during humid or wet weather[2]. The foetid odour of this species, and of the related Acacia georginae, also occurs in Acacia pachycarpa[3]. Acacia cambagei is related to and perhaps only subspecifically distinct from Acacia georginae; the two may be difficult to distinguish where their geographic ranges meet. An important biochemical difference is that the foliage of Acacia georginae is highly toxic to grazing animals whereas this species is commonly eaten in some regions, even under drought conditions. 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[4].
Propagation
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a sunny position in a warm greenhouse[5]. Unlike most acacias, the seeds of this species have a thin seedcoat and will usually germinate without pretreatment. The use of boiling water to hasten germination can be harmful[2]. Sow the seed in Spring in a greenhouse. 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. Acacia seeds that have matured fully on the bush and have been properly dried have a hard seed coat and can be stored in closed containers without deterioration for 5 - 10 years or more in dry conditions at ambient temperatures. It is best to remove the aril, which attracts weevils and can lead to moulds forming. The arils are easilyremoved by placing the seeds in water and rubbing them between the hands, then drying the seeds and winnowing them[6]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Acacia+cambagei>
Pollinators
Bees, Insects
References
- [1]Ecocrop — http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home ↩︎Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
- [2]Australian Trees and Shrubs: Species for Land Rehabilitation and Farm Planting in the Tropics — Doran J.C.; Turnbull J.W. (Editors) · Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research; Canbe · 1997 · ISBN 1-86320-127-0 ↩︎A very informative book, rich in information about the uses, cultivation needs and very much more for over 160 species of Australian trees and shrubs.
- [3]Flora of Australia — http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/abif/flora/ ↩︎The full information from the Flora of Australia - on-line. An excellent resource.
- [4]Nodulation Plants in GRIN Taxonomy — United States Department of Agriculture · http://www.ars-grin.gov/~sbmljw/cgi-bin/taxnodul.pl?language=en ↩︎An online database listing plants that have either positive or negative reports on root and stem nodulation with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
- [5]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
- [6]Potential of Australian Acacias in combating hunger in semi-arid lands — Rinaudo A.; Patel P.; Thomson L.A.J. · 2002 ↩︎
- [7]The Useful Native Plants of Australia. — Maiden J.H. · Turner & Co.; London. · 1889 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org ↩︎Terse details of the uses of many Australian plants and other species naturalised, or at least growing, in Australia. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
- [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎