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Fabaceae FAMILY

Acacia trachycarpa

Acacia trachycarpa

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

The phyllodes may contain low levels of cyanogenic glycoside, though they are unlikely to be dangerous to herbivores[1]. The seed of many Acacia species, including this one, is edible and highly nutritious, and can be eaten safely as a fairly major part of the diet. Not all species are edible, however, and some can contain moderate levels of toxins[2]. Especially when harvesting from the wild, especial care should be taken to ensure correct identification of any plants harvested for food[PFAF]. 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

HabitShrub
GrowthFast

Acacia trachycarpa is a plant of the hot arid and semi-arid tropical zone of northwestern Australia, where it is found at elevations up to 400 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 32°c, but can tolerate 8 - 45°c[3]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -3°c, but young growth is more tender and can be severely damaged at 0°c[3]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 250 - 350mm, but tolerates 150 - 400mm, experiencing a dry season that can be up to 7 - 8 months[3, 4]. Requires a sunny position[3]. Requires a well drained soil, succeeding in a wide range of textures and tolerant of low fertility[3]. Prefers a pH in the range 7 - 8, tolerating 6.5 - 8.5[3]. A reasonably fast growing species that is reported to be frost sensitive and not very drought tolerant[1]. Plants are killed by intense fires but have the ability to resprout after cool fires or mechanical clearing[1]. Coppicing ability is variable, ranging from poor to good[4]. The seeds of most acacia species can be quickly and efficiently harvested at full maturity without the need for any specialised equipment. Small seed-bearing branches can be cut and beaten on sheets, or bushes can be beaten or shaken directly onto large sheets[5]. 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[6].

Propagation

The seed of most, if not all, members of this genus has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing to speed up 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. 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[5]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-19. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Acacia+trachycarpa>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]Wattles of the Pilbara — http://worldwidewattle.com/speciesgallery/descriptions/pilbara/html/default.htm ↩︎A website with factsheets for the various Acacia species that grow in the Pilbara region of northwestern Western Australia
  2. [2]Acacia in Australia: Ethnobotany and Potential Food Crop — Lister P.R.; Holford P.; Haigh T.; Morrison D.A. · ASHS Press, Alexandria, VA. · 1996 · https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1996/v3-toc.html · ISBN 0-9615027-3-8 ↩︎
  3. [3]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.
  4. [4]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.
  5. [5]Potential of Australian Acacias in combating hunger in semi-arid lands — Rinaudo A.; Patel P.; Thomson L.A.J. · 2002 ↩︎
  6. [6]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.
  7. [7]Flora of Australia — http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/abif/flora/ ↩︎The full information from the Flora of Australia - on-line. An excellent resource.
  8. [8]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.
  9. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎