The acacia tree is well known throughout the world, as it not only grows in most countries, but is also a symbol of some of them, as well as the object of many legends and works of art, literature.
White or yellow clusters of this tree, familiar to modern people, blooming in May, actually have a thousand-year history. Gardens and houses were decorated with acacia, used in medicine and religious rites. Probably, there are no trees on the planet that are more revered for many centuries by representatives of different civilizations and cultures than acacia. The photo cannot convey all the beauty and aroma of this plant, which today has more than 800 species.
Acacia History
The uniqueness of this tree was noticed by the ancient Egyptians, who believed that it simultaneously symbolizes both life and death, since it blooms with white and red flowers. It was for them a symbol of the god of the Sun, reviving life. In his crowns lived the goddess of war and hunting Nate.
In many cultures, the acacia tree symbolized purity and purity, and the ancient inhabitants of the Mediterranean believed that its thorns drive away evil spirits and decorated their houses with torn branches. And the nomads who traveled through the Arabian desert considered it sacred and believed that one who broke the branch of this tree would die within a year.
Acacia, a description of which is found in the Torah, was for the ancient Jews a symbol of holiness. So the ship of Noah, the altar of the Jewish Temple and the tabernacle, in which the Ark of the Covenant was originally stored, were made of its wood .
For Christians of the Middle Ages, this tree symbolized purity of thoughts and innocence, so houses were decorated with branches. Acacia oil was used in rituals by various secret societies, and priests smeared them with the altar and incense burners.
Places of growth
The acacia tree belongs to the legume family and can reach 25-30 meters in height. The native land of the plant is considered to be North America, although most of its species grow in the tropical and subtropical forests of Africa, Asia, Mexico and Australia.
Depending on the location, this plant can be either trees or tree bushes. It has been cultivated in Europe since the 18th century due to the healing properties, beauty and strong wood. Today in many cities of Russia and the CIS you can see its most common form - robinia, which is known as white acacia. The tree is able to withstand sub-zero temperatures as well as silver acacia, better known as mimosa. Real white acacia grows exclusively in the tropical forests of Africa.
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Regardless of where the plant grows, acacia has features that are characteristic of the whole family:
- It has a strong root system, leaving the main root to a great depth and having a branch closer to the soil surface. This helps the plant to extract not only water, but also useful trace elements.
- The trunk can reach a height of 12 to 30 meters with a girth of 1.2-2 m. The color of the bark varies from light gray at a young age to a brown hue as it grows older, and the structure has a surface with longitudinal beards.
- Most acacias are distinguished by egg-shaped leaves collected on a long stalk alternately from 7 to 21 pieces. The outer part of the sheet has a green tint, while the inner can be silver or grayish green. The presence of spikes is also inherent in most representatives of this species, although there are specimens in which they are completely absent.
- Acacia (the photo shows this) has large flowers of white or yellow color, collected in clusters, although there are small inflorescences in the form of a panicle and even single buds.
- The fruits of the tree are a brown pod containing 5-6 beans. They are well known for their healing properties and are widely used in homeopathy.
These are traits common to most representatives of this species, although there are exceptions.
Acacia corkscrew
This is the most common tree in city parks and on the streets. Acacia, although it usually grows quite quickly, reaches maturity with an average speed of 40 years.
With a height of 20 m and a width of 1.2 m, it has an asymmetric crown and white flowers with a pleasant aroma, hanging with tassels up to 20 cm in length. Often, acacia corkscrew can have two trunks, blooms from late May to early June, is not demanding to care for, and tolerates dry summers. Leaves of an elliptical shape have a bluish-green tint in the summer and bright yellow in the fall. Appear quite late, almost simultaneously with the flowers.
Golden acacia
Small, only up to 12 m in height, these trees are immediately noticeable. Golden Acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia Frisia) has several trunks and beautiful light yellow elliptical leaves. On twisted, zigzag spiny branches, the foliage appears late, almost before flowering: in late May - early June.
This tree was first discovered in Holland in 1935. It blooms with white fragrant inflorescences up to 20 cm in length, the fruit is brown and flat. Leaves are pinnate and alternate from 7 to 19 pieces on the petiole.
This acacia is not demanding to care for, although it prefers humus dry soil. In wet and heavy soil it can suffer from frost and die.
Acacia conical and umbrella
One of the old-timers among the trees of this species is the cone-shaped acacia (Pseudoacacia Bessoniana). It survives to 100 years and grows up to 20 meters in height, forming offspring. Often has several trunks.
The foliage is open-ended, pinnate, the crown can be either asymmetric or free, round. Blossoms not densely, with white fragrant brushes up to 20 cm in length. On petioles bloom from 7 to 19 leaves of an elliptical form of bluish-green color. Forms fruits up to 12 cm in length, in the form of flat brown beans. This acacia is very fond of the sun and tolerates drought, is not whimsical to the soil. If you plant such a tree in the garden, you should avoid heavy and damp soil. In frosts in similar soil, acacia roots can be severely affected.
Umbrella acacia is found in Africa and in the deserts of Israel. On a hot continent, it lives in the savannah and is loved by all its inhabitants, as it gives a shadow, thanks to its crown, which looks like an umbrella. In fact, this is a symbolic defense against the scorching rays of the sun, because its leaves are turned by an edge towards the sun.
The tree has large sharp spikes that protect it from the numerous herbivores inhabiting the savannah. Blooms in very small flowers with long stamens collected in a panicle. There are yellow or white.
According to legend, it was from the umbrella acacia that the Jews who left Egypt made Noah's Ark.
Acacia street
Most often, in specialized stores there is street acacia, seedlings of which are sold in flower pots.
Pseudoacacia Monophylla is poorly susceptible to environmental pollution, it is a fast-growing and non-spiny species of trees, reaching 25 m in height. The leaves of this acacia are pinnate and alternating: at the beginning of the petiole it is small in size, but closer to the end, can reach 15 cm in length. The foliage is dull green in the summer and yellow in the fall. It should be remembered that the leaves are very poisonous.
Branches can have a zigzag or horizontal, slightly raised appearance. Blooms in large white flowers, collected in clusters up to 20 cm in length with a pleasant aroma. This tree loves the sun and is not picky about the composition of the soil.
Acacia bristles
This name refers both to a tree-like shrub reaching a height of more than 2 meters, and to a tree, which, depending on the growth zone, can reach from 15 to 20 m.The powerful root system and strong spiky zigzag branches make the plant wind-resistant. These types of acacia blossom in beautiful large flowers of purple or pink color without aroma, collected in inflorescences of 3-6 pieces.
The name of the plant was due to the fact that its shoots are covered with reddish bristles. The leaves are painted dark green in spring and summer, yellow in autumn. If such acacia grows in the garden, it attracts attention with its large and bright colors.
It does not require additional care, prefers a quiet and sunny place, easily tolerates dry summers. Even poor soil is suitable for her.
Acacia pink
Adhesive Robinia (Robinia viscosa Vent.), As it is also called, pink acacia native to southeast North America, is also cultivated in Ukraine. The tree can reach from 7 to 12 m in height, but the life span is short.
The bark of a brown hue is smooth, there may be small spines on the branches. The shoots of the tree are covered with a sticky mass, which gave it such a name. Acacia pink blooms large, up to 2-3 cm in length, odorless flowers. They are collected in upright brushes of 6-12 pieces and are also covered with sticky hairs that attract bees. The tree is a wonderful honey plant and pollen.
Suitable for gardeners who prefer to grow plants in the garden with long flowering, as there are 4-5 waves of flowering, lasting until mid-September, this type of acacia. The leaves of this tree are large, up to 20 cm in length. Bright green above, below grayish they are collected on the petiole in an amount of 13 to 25 pieces.
The tree is unpretentious, frost-resistant (can withstand up to -28 degrees), can grow on any soil.
Acacia silver
Mimosa, well known to all post-Soviet women, is the silver acacia, whose homeland is Australia and the island of Tasmania.
This evergreen tree can reach 45 m in its native land, but in other countries it does not exceed 12 meters. Its trunk has a light gray or brown hue with vertical cracks from which the gum flows.
Leaves of a grayish-green color, cirrus dissected twice, go alternately on the petiole and reach from 10 cm to 20 cm in length. The flowers are very small, in the form of yellowish balls, collected in racemose inflorescences, from which panicles are formed. They have a very strong and pleasant aroma.
Silvery acacia seeds are flat and hard, can be matte or slightly shiny black.
White Acacia
Robinia, or false acacia (Robinia pseudacacia L.) has taken root well on the European continent and is familiar to many of its inhabitants. Its white flowers emit a very strong and pleasant aroma that attracts not only people, but also bees.
This tree lives on average from 30 to 40 years, has a brownish bark, a spreading crown with green, unpaired leaves. The fruits of white acacia ripen in September - October and fall only in the following spring.
Acacia in medicine
The chemical composition of acacia bark and its effect on the body has not yet been fully studied, but today decoctions from it are recommended not only by traditional healers, but also by official medicine. Since the bark, flowers and fruits of this plant are often poisonous, they can only be used after consulting a doctor and at the doses recommended by them.