Acacia mearnsii
Acacia mearnsii
Safety & Hazards
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.
Botanical Description
Acacia mearnsii is a small to large, spine-free, evergreen, single-stemmed or multi-branched tree with a low, rounded, spreading crown[ 303 Title World Agroforesty Centre Publication Author Website http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc. ]. It usually grows from 6 - 15 metres tall, but can reach 25 metres. The bole is usually straight, and can be up to 50 cm in diameter but is more likely to be 10 - 35cm[ 303 Title World Agroforesty Centre Publication Author Website http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc. , 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). ]. This species is the world's premier source of tannins and it is widely cultivated in warm temperate to tropical areas for its wood and tannins[ 303 Title World Agroforesty Centre Publication Author Website http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc. ]. It is also widely grown to provide shade and shelter for plantation crops, as a soil conditioner and stabilizer and has excellent potential for use in restoring native woodlands. Acacia mearnsii is a vigorous, nitrogen fixing species that has precocious and prolific seed production, with a high density and accumulation of long-lived seeds in the soil, and a variety of potential dispersal mechanisms including water, mammals and possibly birds. It causes a number of mainly environmental problems and is hard to control because of its ability to form root suckers. This species is a highly invasive species, considered to be one of the World’s 100 Worst Invaders, and has become a problem in countries as diverse as South Africa, Portugal, Hawaii, Zimbabwe and New Zealand[ 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). ].