Herb: Sidney Golden Wattle


Latin name: Acacia longifolia


Synonyms: Mimosa longifolia


Family: Leguminosae



Edible parts of Sidney Golden Wattle:

Flowers - cooked. Rich in pollen, they are often used in fritters. The flowers have a violet-like fragrance. Seed - roasted. Starchy. Rather small and fiddly to gather. Acacia seeds are highly nutritious and contain approx 26% protein, 26% available carbohydrate, 32% fibre and 9% fat. The fat content is higher than most legumes with the aril providing the bulk of fatty acids present. These fatty acids are largely unsaturated which is a distinct health advantage although it presents storage problems as such fats readily oxidise. The mean total carbohydrate content of 55.8 + 13.7% is lower than that of lentils, but higher than that of soybeans while the mean fibre content of 32.3 + 14.3% is higher than that of other legumes such as lentils with a level of 11.7%. The energy content is high in all species tested, averaging 1480+270 kJ per 100g. Wattle seeds are low glycaemic index foods. The starch is digested and absorbed very slowly, producing a small, but sustained rise in blood glucose and so delaying the onset of exhaustion in prolonged exercise. Seedpods - roasted. The pods are up to 10cm long.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Tree

Height:
9 m
(30 feet)

Flowering:
March


Scent:
Scented
Tree

Habitat of the herb:

Sandy soils mainly by the coast.

Other uses of Sidney Golden Wattle:

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. It is used on sandy soils and steep banks. Trees are planted as a screen in Australia. This species is often grown as a rootstock for grafting lime-intolerant members of the genus. Wood - pale, tough.

Propagation of the herb:

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 Sidney Golden Wattle:

Sandy soils mainly by the coast.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Acacia longifolia:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.