Acacia dealbata

Botanical Description

Acacia dealbata is an evergreen large shrub or medium-sized tree with a conical or rounded crown; it usually grows from 6 - 15 metres tall, occasionaly reaching 30 metres. The bole is straight and cylindrical. The plant often suckers freely, especially if the main stem is cut down[ 418 Title Ecocrop Publication Author Website http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available. , 601 Title The Useful Native Plants of Australia. Publication Author Maiden J.H. Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Turner & Co.; London. Year 1889 ISBN Description 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. , 1093 Title Invasive Species Compendium Publication Author Website http://www.cabi.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc). ]. Unlike most Australian Acacias, this species retains its true leaves as it grows larger. The tree has a wide range of traditional uses, as a food and source of materials. It can be used as a pioneer to restore native woodland, is used in soil stabilization projects, is coppiced for fuel and used in shelterbelt plantings. It is also often grown as an ornamental, and is cultivated commercially for its flowers and the essential oil they contain. Acacia dealbata, as a legume with an ability to seed prolifically and to produce root suckers, is often among the first to colonize cleared land, which has led to it becoming a weed in many countries. It is a declared weed (category 1) in the Western Cape and a declared invader (category 2) across the rest of South Africa. It has various ecological and environmental impacts including the displacement of native vegetation, disruption to water flow leading to streambank erosion and changed nutrient cycling patterns. As a species that has already been widely introduced and in present in a large numbers of countries, it is likely that further accounts of its invasiveness may be reported[ 1093 Title Invasive Species Compendium Publication Author Website http://www.cabi.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc). ].