Herb: Green Wattle


Latin name: Acacia decurrens


Synonyms: Mimosa decurrens


Family: Leguminosae



Medicinal use of Green Wattle:

The bark is astringent. It should be stored for 12 months before being used. Its main use is in the treatment of diarrhoea.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Tree

Height:
12 m
(39 feet)

Flowering:
April

Habitat of the herb:

Sheltered forests, mainly on shales and sandstone. Usually on cool moist hills and gullies.

Edible parts of Green Wattle:

Flowers - cooked. Rich in pollen, they are often used in fritters. A gum that exudes naturally from the trunk is edible and is used as a substitute for Gum Arabic in making jellies etc. It is insoluble in water and is of low quality. 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. The gum can be warmed when it becomes soft and chewable.

Other uses of the herb:

A yellow dye is obtained from the flowers. A green dye is obtained from the seed pods. The extensive root system of this plant helps to prevent soil erosion. Often grown as a screen in Australia. The bark contains about 40% tannin. On a 10% moisture basis, the bark contains 36.6% tannin.

Propagation of Green Wattle:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a sunny position in a warm greenhouse. Stored seed should be scarified, pre-soaked for 12 hours in warm water and then sown in a warm greenhouse in March. The seed germinates in 3 - 4 weeks at 25°C. 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. Cuttings of half-ripe wood with a heel, July/August in individual pots in a frame. Overwinter in a greenhouse for the first winter and plant out in their permanent positions in late spring or early summer. Fair percentage.

Cultivation of the herb:

Sheltered forests, mainly on shales and sandstone. Usually on cool moist hills and gullies.

Known hazards of Acacia decurrens:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.