There are two types of plants commonly referred to as "acacia". They belong to different species and look completely different. The first is Robinia, or white locust. It is a tree reaching 25 m in height and up to 1 m in diameter. It blooms in May, after which flat pods are formed with gray or black beans inside.
Due to its origin, it can also be called "southern acacia". Flowers, bark of young shoots and leaves of the plant are widely used for medicinal purposes. However, if consumed in large quantities, it can cause serious poisoning as it is poisonous.
The second type of plant is a tree-like caragana, or yellow acacia. It is a shrub that grows from 2 to 7 meters in height. Often the plant is used as a hedge.
Yellow locust is unpretentious, wind-resistant, winter-hardy and grows well in the shade. The quality of the soil also does not play a special role, it feels equally comfortable in dry or wet ground. It is often used to green cities.
During a dry summer, the yellow acacia may shed some of its leaves. This reduces the amount of moisture evaporated, and the plant easily tolerates very hot weather.
The shrub belongs to the legume family. It can store nitrogen in the soil. The leaves reach a length of 8 cm and have 4 to 8 paired leaflets oblong or oval in shape with a point at the end.
Acacia yellow begins to bloom by the end of May or the beginning of June, and flowering continues for 2-2, 5 weeks. In the northern zone, this process can take up to 3 weeks. The yellow flowers look like a butterfly. They can grow singly or in bunches of 3-5.
After flowering ends, fruits begin to form. They appear only in the 4th year of the plant's life and are 5-6 cm long. Each pod contains up to 8 small seeds that ripen as early as July. Next, the sash opens and twists. So the seeds fall into the soil, and due to their small size, the wind is able to carry them away for a long distance.
Acacia yellow breeds in shifts and grows quite quickly. They must be harvested in advance, picking off still unripe pods when the wings begin to change color and become hard.
The next year in early spring, the seeds are soaked in water for several hours, and then sown in the prepared soil. Acacia yellow grows strongly in width. Therefore, when used in ornamental gardening, it is pruned 1-2 times a year. Acacia tolerates docking of roots and branches well. She can live up to 70 years.
Also, the shrub is very popular for breeding in the apiary. He is an excellent honey plant. Beekeepers are very fond of this plant. Acacia honeyis of good quality and has a light yellow color.
Flowering shoots, bark and leaves of the plant have also been used for medicinal purposes. They are used in the form of infusions and decoctions, which are taken orally or added to bath collections. They perfectly help with respiratory diseases, atherosclerosis, heartburn, headaches, liver diseases, and also speed up metabolism. Unlike the white locust, the yellow locust is not poisonous.
