Acacia decurrens

Botanic Name

Acacia decurrens (Wend!.) Willd.

Synonym

Acacia decurrens var normalis Benth. The species is closely related to Acacia
mearnsii (black wattle) and Acacia dealbata (see Firewood Crops Vol. 1), and in the
literature these species have often been confused.

Common Names

Green wattle, Sydney black wattle, king or queen wattle

Family

Leguminosae (Mimosoideae)

Main Attributes

Acacia decurrens yields excellent fuel wood and charcoal and has proved suitable for
growing in many countries. The wood is little used for fuel except in Australia, but the
bark is esteemed second only to that of Acacia mearnsii for tanning purposes.
Like other acacias, green wattle fixes atmospheric nitrogen.

Description

This is a beautiful tree with strong, upright growth, usually reaching 6-12 m in height.
In the Nilgiris (India) it attains a height of 30 m and a diameter of 37 cm. It has a fern-
or feather-like green foliage and in spring has a crowded head of fluffy, golden
flowers. The slender seedpods, to 10 cm long, snap open when mature and throw the
seeds a good distance.

Distribution

This species is native to the coastal strip within 200 km of Sydney, Australia, and to
adjacent lower montane valleys. It has been planted fairly widely on moist sites in
southeastern Australia. It has also been introduced to Sri Lanka, Fiji, India, Kenya,
South Africa, Hawaii, the Philippines, and parts of Central and South America.

Use as Firewood

The wood is not suitable for sawtimber because of its small dimensions. It does make
a good firewood, with a specific gravity of 0.50-0.70. According to one report, it has a
caloric potential of 3,530-3,940 kcal per kg.

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Yield

A yield of 6-16 m³ per ha per year has been reported, and in Sri Lanka the yield of
firewood on a 15-year rotation averaged 25 m³ per ha.

Other Uses

· Tanning. The bark of Acacia decurrens yields 35-40 percent good-quality tannin.
However, it contains undesirable coloring matter, which reduces the value of the
leather; planting was therefore stopped in favor of other acacias. Recent research,
however, has shown that this problem can be eliminated by changing the tanning
process or by adding other suitable tanning materials.

· Wood. The wood is used for building poles, mine props, fence posts, and, in recent
years, for hardboard.

· Shelterbelt. The tree is used for shade and windbreaks. It has also been used as
hedges on tea estates in Sri Lanka.

Environmental Requirements

· Temperature. Acacia decurrens thrives in a climate of 12°-25°C mean annual

temperature. It is frost resistant and shade tolerant.

· Altitude. In its Australian home the tree grows in low valleys and on hillslopes (25-
1,000 m), but mainly below 700 m. Elsewhere the tree may range up to 2,500 m.

· Rainfall. The mean annual rainfall for this species is 900-2,600 mm.

· Soil. Acacia decurrens prefers deep soils that are light to medium and free draining.
It occurs naturally on soils of only moderate fertility: acid and neutral yellow earths,
acid-bleached red duplex soils, podsols, and some brown friable earths derived
principally from shales. The species also occurs on basalt-derived soils.

Establishment

The species spreads rapidly by seed and root suckers and regenerates by coppicing.
Seeds can be germinated after many years of storage in a cool, dry place. Seeds
germinate in 7-14 days, and seedlings can be transplanted in 5-7 months.

· Seed treatment. The seeds are soaked 2 hours in acid or dipped in boiling water and
left to cool and soak.

· Ability to compete with weeds. The tree spreads rapidly, forming solid stands too
dense to permit grass or other vegetation to intrude.

Pests and Diseases

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Acacia decurrens is susceptible to the defoliator Acanthopsyche junode, but less so
than Acacia mearnsii. Severe attacks by the rust fungus Uromycladium in the 1920s
caused most plantations in New Zealand to be felled.

Limitations

Acacia decurrens, introduced to Hawaii about 1890, has been declared noxious for
state land leases because it spreads rapidly by seed and root suckers, crowding out
other Plants.

Related species

· Acacia dealbata and Acacia mearnsii occur much more widely than Acacia
decurrens. There are several species of relatively restricted distribution - for example,
Acacia parramattensis, Acacia sylvestris, and Acacia fulva - with similar site
requirements, but these have not yet been tested in cultivation.