🌳 Tree
ANX-TREE-0000006
Black Wattle
Acacia mearnsii
Black Wattle (Acacia mearnsii), a nitrogen-fixing, timber, tannin, fuelwood tree of the Fabaceae family.
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Tree type
- Nitrogen-fixing, Timber, Tannin, Fuelwood
- Mature height (m)
- 6-15
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Lifespan (years)
- 20-30
- Native region
- Southeastern Australia, widely naturalized/cultivated in Africa.
Environment
Growing Conditions
- Climate requirements
- Subtropical highlands with moderate to high rainfall.
- Soil types
- Tolerates poor, acidic soils; nitrogen-fixing improves soil fertility over time.
- Water requirements
- Moderate; grows best with reliable rainfall but tolerates seasonal dry spells once established.
Cultivation
Planting & Care
- Planting guide
- Grown from scarified seed (hard seed coat needs treatment to germinate), often direct-seeded in plantation blocks.
- Care guide
- Managed on a coppice/clear-fell rotation; minimal ongoing maintenance.
Phenology
Flowering & Fruiting
- Flowering season
- Small pale-yellow globular flower clusters, typically in the dry season
- Fruiting season
- Flat brown seed pods following flowering
Value
Uses & Economic Importance
- Uses
- Bark is a major commercial source of tannin (leather tanning); also valued for fuelwood, charcoal, and fast-growing timber.
- Economic importance
- A historically important commercial tannin/timber species in East and Southern Africa, though it is also flagged as invasive in some regions outside cultivation.
Trade
Marketplace
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