Acacia nilotica

Vachellia nilotica, commonly known as Gum Arabic Trees is native to Africa, the Middle East, and the Indian Subcontinent. It grows up to 20 m tall with a dense spheric crown. The leaves are bipinnate. Flowers, golden-yellow in color, are in globular heads. Gum Arabic Tree is used in traditional medicine as treatment for a wide range of conditions such as diarrhea, dysentery, leprosy, coughs, intestinal pains, cancers and tumors, colds, congestion, tuberculosis, durations of liver and spleen, fevers, gallbladder problems, hemorrhage, hemorrhoids, leucorrhea, ophthalmia, sclerosis, smallpox, and impotence. Young leaves, young shoots, and young pods are consumed as vegetables. Seeds can also be sprouted and eaten as a vegetable. Further, it can also be fermented into an alcoholic beverage or roasted then made into flour. The flowers are made into fritters. The stem produces an edible gum. A wine known as 'sak' is made from the bark. Due to its extensive and deep root system, the tree is used in reforestation project. It is also used as a hedge plant and as fire breaks. The gum from the bark is used for printing and dyeing calico, as a sizing material for cotton and silks, and for paper manufacturing. It is also used in making candles, inks, matches, and paints. The pods also yield gum, which is used for dyes and inks, and tannins. Fiber from the bark of slender branches are used to make coarse ropes and paper, and for toothbrushes. The wood is strong, heavy, hard, durable, and highly resistant to shock. It is used for agricultural implements, sugar and oil presses, boat handles, brake clocks, planks, etc. It is also used for fuel and charcoal. Also recorded as Acacia nilotica Delile

Acacia nilotica is an evergreen Tree growing to 10 m by 12 m at a fast rate.
It is hardy to zone 10. The flowers are pollinated by Bees, Insects.
It can fix Nitrogen.
Suitable for: medium and heavy soils and can grow in heavy clay and nutritionally poor soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic soils and can grow in saline soils.
It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Gum arabic succeeds in subtropical to tropical lowland areas and at elevations up to 1,300 metres. It thrives in areas with an annual rainfall in the range of 400 - 2,300mm. It is reported to tolerate an annual mean temperature in the range of 19 - 28°c, though it can grow at extreme conditions of temperature. It does not tolerate frost when young. Requires a sunny position. Succeeds in a range of soils, including heavy clay soils and saline conditions. It tolerates a pH ranging from 5.0 - 8.0. It will tolerate drought or flooded conditions for several months of the year and can be grown in marginal land. The tree has escaped from cultivation and become established in the wild in many areas outside its native range. It is classed as 'Invasive' in several areas, including Australia and some Pacific Islands. In a suitable environment, plants can spread very quickly by means of their seeds. Regular monitoring of any stands is necessary to prevent the plant becoming a nuisance. The plant is considered to be a serious weed in S. Africa. Trees flower and produce seedpods abundantly by the time they are 5 - 7 years old. In India, a plantation of about 600 plants per hectare produced around 12 tonnes of bark for tannins after 15 years of planting. In Sudan, a tree yields about 18 kg of de-seeded pods per year, and the yield of gum can be up to 0.9 kg/year, though it is usually much less. The yield of gum decreases as a tree gets older. The tree has a deep and extensive root system. 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. Carbon Farming - Cultivation: regional crop. Management: standard.