Acacia cyanophylla Lindl

Description :

It is a tall woody shrub or small sized evergreen tree with invasive characteristics. It normally attains height of 6 m. Its growth rate is 36 or more inches annually. The tree has a short trunk. Bark is rough and brown coloured. Leaves are simple and linear and narrow with a single margin and are 6 to 20 cm long and 0.5 to 1.5 cm wide and are linear with bluish green shade in colour. Flowers are yellow in colour and spherical in shape, they are 5 to 12 mm in diameter, flowers bloom in early spring. The fruit of the plant is a legume, narrow and elongated pod and the seed present in the fruit is black in colour and shiny and is oblong.

 

Distribution :

This plant is native to Western Australia, it is widely naturalised overseas in Africa, the Middle, South Asia (Pakistan & India), South America, North America, on the North Island of New Zealand and Mauritius. It is capable of growing well in different types of soils including soils in sub-humid, arid and semi-arid areas and soils with high pH. Generally, they are found in sandy soils.

Uses :

This Plant has several uses. It may be used as an ornamental plant cultivated for aesthetic purposes. Birds are attracted towards its colourful showy yellow flowers and create a lively atmosphere. It has been used in revegetation, tanning, mine site rehabilitation, firewood, animal fodder, agroforestry and mulch. In some parts of the world it has been planted in semi-arid areas as windbreaker and for stabilisation of sand dunes and also to stop soil erosion. The bark is used in making of medicines to treat different types of diseased and problems like diarrhoea, dysentery and skin problems. The wood is used to make furniture.

(Wiersema and Taxonomy, 2019)