Classification of the genus Acacia (in the wider sense) has been subject to considerable debate. It is generally agreed that there are valid reasons for breaking it up into several distinct genera, but there has been disagreement over the way this should be done. As of 2017, it is widely (but not completely) accepted that the section that includes the majority of the Australian species (including this one) should retain the name Acacia, whilst other sections of the genus should be transferred to the genera Acaciella, Mariosousa, Senegalia and Vachellia[].

Common Name: Bodalla Wattle

General Information

Acacia silvestris is a spreading tree with an open crown; it usually grows from 6 - 20 metres tall, but can reach up to 30 metres. When growing in dense stands the bole can be up to 180cm in diameter and free of branches for up to 18.5 metres, though when growing in an open position the tree branches from quite low down[, ]. Unlike most Australian Acacias, this species retains its leaves into maturity and does not develop phyllodes[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a source of materials. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental in parks and large gardens[].
The tree may have the potential of becomming a weed on some sites in Australia[].

Known 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 References

Range

Australia - northeastern Victoria, southeastern New South Wales

Habitat

Often forming extensive forests especially on slate, being most common in open eucalypt forests on rocky hillsides of steep gullies, over the saddle of ridges and on alluvial flats; at elevations up to 1,000 metres[, ].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	15.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Acacia silvestris is a plant of the warm temperate zone, where it is found at elevations up to 1,000 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 15 - 25°c, but can tolerate 8 - 33°c[]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -8°c, but young growth is more tender and can be severely damaged at -1°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 800 - 1,000mm, but tolerates 600 - 1,100mm[].
Requires a sunny position[]. Requires a well-drained soil, preferring one that is light to medium in texture and of moderate to low fertility[]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7, tolerating 5 - 7.5[].
A fast-growing species[]. It can increase in height when young by 2 metres per year in warm temperate sites[].
Regeneration of this long-lived species is almost always after fire[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria; these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bark of all Acacia species contains greater or lesser quantities of tannins and are astringent. Astringents are often used medicinally - taken internally, for example. they are used in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery, and can also be helpful in cases of internal bleeding. Applied externally, often as a wash, they are used to treat wounds and other skin problems, haemorrhoids, perspiring feet, some eye problems, as a mouth wash etc[, ].
Many Acacia trees also yield greater or lesser quantities of a gum from the trunk and stems. This is sometimes taken internally in the treatment of diarrhoea and haemorrhoids[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is planted as an ornamental, as a windbreak, and for gully stabilisation and it is a good source of pollen for bees[]

Other Uses

The bark has a high tannin content[]. It is inferior in quality to Acacia mearnsii, which has a higher yield and a
more readily processed bark[]. Bark harvested for its tannins should only be taken from mature stems, and only when the sap is rising at the beginning of the growing season - which is when the tannin content is highest and the bark is most easily removed from the wood[].

The heartwood is pale brown but may have reddish streaks. The wood is hard, strong, and tough. It can be used for tool handles, and is considered to have good potential for furniture, general joinery, poles, mining timber and fence posts[]. Tests on the kraft (sulfate) pulping properties of the wood showed an oven-dry pulp yield of 53% and
pulp properties suitable for a wide range of paper and paper board products[].
The relatively dense wood has been recommended as a fuel[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a sunny position in a warm greenhouse[].The dried seed of most, if not all, members of this genus has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing to speed up germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing. Sow the seed in Spring in a greenhouse. 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.
Acacia seeds that have matured fully on the bush and have been properly dried have a hard seed coat and can be stored in closed containers without deterioration for 5 - 10 years or more in dry conditions at ambient temperatures. It is best to remove the aril, which attracts weevils and can lead to moulds forming. The arils are easilyremoved by placing the seeds in water and rubbing them between the hands, then drying the seeds and winnowing them[].