Acacia

Acacia (Acacia) - deciduous and evergreen shrubs and trees of the legume family. It is a subtropical and tropical plant. The genus Acacia is truly rich and comprises about 800 species growing wild in India, South Africa, South America, Polynesia, and Australia. Acacia is a large tree, reaching a height of up to 20 m. Acacia can be found in parks, gardens, and along roads. It has ovate pinnate leaves with 7 to 21 leaflets on the petiole. At night the acacia folds its leaves. The upper side of the leaves is smooth and green, while the underside is velvety and gray-green. The crown is spreading.

Acacia flowers (white, yellow) have a delicate intoxicating fragrance and are gathered in pendulous racemes. The tree begins to bloom at the end of May and sets fruit by June. Acacia is often used to stabilize railway embankments and ravine slopes. The tree's flowers exude an aromatic secretion that is widely used in perfumery. They also serve as medicinal raw material; they are harvested between bloom periods and collected half-open. The harvest is dried in a well-ventilated room at a temperature of 4О-5О°С. The wood of the white acacia is an excellent finishing material. In addition, this tree is an excellent honey plant.

It blooms abundantly the white acacia in mid-June, when the translucent crown spreads fragrant waves and becomes very decorative. In youth the false acacia is very sensitive to low temperatures because its shoots do not fully lignify. Overall, the tree is undemanding regarding soil moisture and fertility, very light-loving (sun, partial shade), drought-tolerant, wind-resistant, grows quickly, and tolerates transplantation and branch pruning well. European medicine uses the false acacia as a mild laxative, diuretic, antispasmodic, expectorant, and antipyretic.

Temperature: moderate, drafts should be avoided.

Watering: abundant in spring and autumn, very moderate in winter.

Fertilizers: every year in spring and summer feedings are carried out with a liquid complex fertilizer for houseplants.

Air humidity: misting is not necessary.

Propagation: by seeds and cuttings. Cuttings are rooted in small pots at a temperature of 15-18°С; sowing of seeds in January-March requires soil heating. Before sowing, acacia seeds are poured over with boiling water.

Transplanting: once every 2 years after the flowering period. Soil: 1 part sand, 3 parts light turf soil, and 2 parts peat.

Besides the white acacia there are other no less popular species.

Silver acacia - Acacia dealbata Link. Commonly known as mimosa, which is sold in many cities of Ukraine and Russia on March 8.

Long-leaved acacia - Acacia longifolia. A branched tree with bare branches and grayish-green phyllodes, resembling the branches of a weeping willow.

Armored acacia - Acacia armata. A shrub up to 1.2 m high with ribbed pubescent branches.