Tasmanian blackwood - Acacia melanoxylon

Description and Uses

Acacia melanoxylon (Tasmanian blackwood) is a tropical tree from Southern Australia. It is mainly grown for its timber crops (long shelflife), but also edible flowers, tannin, and timber can be produced. The crop is harvested by total removing. It starts flowering after 4 - 6 years. The first yield will be inapplicable but in its top season there will be a yield of 20 meter/30 years. The flower is edible. Medical uses include; "anti-arthritic activity", and "tuberculose remedy". The wood contains Farnesol (5 - 8 ppm). There is Acacia melanoxylon oil extracted by hexane solvent extration from the tree`s bark yielding 0.1 - 1% oil. The tree`s wood is called Tasmanian blackwood and has a density of 650 - 670 kg/m³. Regarding firewood production the tree`s growing speed is medium, its energetic value is 4700 ckal/kg and the wood`s drying speed is medium; it might be grown for firewood, see firewood rating in the rating bar. After 40 years the tree can be totally removed as it reached its commercial and ecological goal. Acacia melanoxylon has a lifespan of 100 years.

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Environmental limitations

The tree is 35 meters tall. It is medium growing and tolerates not less light than partial shade. Acacia melanoxylon has a deep root-system and forms symbiotic relations with "Glomus intraradices", and "Glomus mosseae" fungi (endo-mycorrhiza). It is able to fix nitrogen with Bradyrhizobiaceae bacteria. The tree`s flower-morphology is hermaphroditic and is pollinated by bees. Acacia melanoxylon is evergreen and allelopathic and has no thorns.

Acacia melanoxylon thrives in an altitude of 1500 to 2300 meters above sea-level (tropical). The minimum temperature is -6°C and optimally between 6 - 19°C. The optimal rainfall is 1900 mm/year. Without irrigation the annual rainfall should be between 750 - 2300 mm (L/m²). The optimal soil-pH is between 5.0 - 8.0 in a soil texture of loam. To salt it is tolerant to wind tolerant and to fire tolerant.

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Pests and Diseases

"Aenetus virescens", "Amphipsalta zelandica", "Dicranosterna semipunctata", "Platypus", "Platypus externe-dentatus", and "Platypus ratzenburgi" are pests and "Armillaria root rot", "Junghuhnia root disease", "Peniophora root and stem cancer", and "Uromycladium rusts of Acacia", are diseases.

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Seed Propagation

Seeds are orthodox and can be stored for 8 months. There are approximative 64000 seeds/kg. The seeds can be propagated as followed: (1) Store harvested seeds dry at room temperature, (2) Soak the seeds overnight in warm water before sowing., (3) Remove the seeds from cold to a permanent warm temperature.

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