Nitrogen Fixing Plants Prarie Acacia or Acacia Angustissima

By Liliana Usvat
Blog 270-365

''Acacia angustissima'' is a perennial, deciduous, shrub or tree in the Fabaceae family native to Central America and the United States. It is also found in South America, India and Pakistan. 

Other common names for it include Carboncillo, Timbe, Timbre, Fern Acacia and Prairie wattle. 

It grows 1m to 4m in height having whitish, 1.3 cm diameter spherical flowers from June through September. ''"Angustissima"'' in Latin means "narrowest," describing the look of the shrub's leaves. 

Good for Reforestation

Altitude: 0-2600m
Annual Temperature Mean: 5-30 deg. C.
Annual Rainfall Mean: 895-2870mm
Soil: ''A. angustissima'' is well-suited for acidic, low-nutrient soils and it has very good resistance to drought.

 The flowers are clustered into 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) wide, fuzzy balls of stamens and will open white and age to a pinkish color. The flowers are followed by flat, elongated, brown seedpods. The leaves are green and bipinnate with tiny leaflets. The stems are hairy, reddish, and spineless. The larger stems are ridged and grooved, unlike the similar, but taller and smooth-stemmed Lysiloma watsonii.

PROPAGATION

Propagation Material: Seeds , Softwood Cuttings 
Description: Propagate by scarified seed or softwood cuttings. 
Seed Collection: Collect in late summer to early fall when seeds are firm, filled out, and dark brown.


Butterfly Plant 

The flowers attract butterflies and other insects like bees.

Chewing Gum

Used as a source of chewing gum or gum flavoring.

Medicinal Plant

 A bitter astringent, sedative herb that improves diegstion

and 

cerebral circulation



Medicinal Uses. Internally for headaches associated with with debility

and 

nervous tension and 
for anxiety, 
neuralgia, 
sinusitis, 
excess upper respiratory tract mucus, 
gastritis, 
poor digestion, 
hypertension and
menopausal problems. 


Excess causes, diarrhoea and vomiting.  Not to be given to pregnant
women. 

Externally for wounds (especially if infected),
 bruises, 
ulcers, 
sore throat, and 
gum inflammation.

Combines well with Scutellaria laterifolia, Verbena officinalis,
Lavandula angustifolia or Hypericum perforatum

 for tension headaches

(although I suspect to much of any of these combinations may be TOO
MUCH)

"action: 

astringent, 
carminative, 
diuretic, 
expectorant, 
nervine, 
tonic,
vulnerary"
"body: bladder, 
kidney, 
spleen, 
stomach"


"used to treat: 

asthma, 
bladder ailments, 
bronchitis, 
cancer, 
cough,
cuts, 
excessive sweating, 
external ulcers, 
heartburn, 

kidney ailments,
neurasthenia, 
sore, 
spitting blood, 
sprains, 
varicose veins,
wen, 
worms"

use: tea
"The infusion is used for neurasthenia, bladder and kidney ailments,
spitting blood, and excessive sweating; 

regular use is recommended for

varicose veins. 
A strong decoction is used against worms. 
The juice of the plant can be used to heal cuts, external "

Mosquito Repellent Tree Silver Dollar Tree: Eucalyptus cinerea

By Liliana Usvat





Silver Dollar Tree: Eucalyptus cinerea. 
Type: Tree. Height: To 20 feet. 
Spacing: 25 feet apart. Light Requirements: Full sun. 
Additional Uses: Attracts wildlife to the garden, the foliage is used in fresh cut flower arrangements as greens, and dried floral arrangements.

Eucalyptus trees are native to Australia, but they are also found in the western United States, especially in Arizona, California, and Nevada. They can be planted anywhere where there is a hot, dry climate.

Native to Australia, argyle apple or silver dollar tree is a broadleaf evergreen tree that will grow as a single trunk tree to 25-60’ tall in its native habitat. 

Bark is reddish-brown, peeling on smaller stems. If grown as an annual shrub from seed in the St. Louis area, it typically grows rapidly to 6-8’ tall by mid-summer. 

Juvenile foliage consists of opposite rounded silvery bluish-green leaves (to 2” long) resembling large coins, hence the common name of silver dollar tree. Foliage is aromatic. Small white flowers rarely appear on juvenile trees or container plants. Foliage stems are frequently used by florists in fresh flower arrangements.


About 150 species have been grown in areas of California and Arizona that have climates similar to the plants’ native Australian habitats; many more have been grown as solitary representatives in arboretums. Eucalypts are the most widely planted non-native trees in these two Western states—for several hundred miles in parts of California.



Propagation Methods:
From softwood cuttings
From semi-hardwood cuttings
From seed; sow indoors before last frost

The Eucalyptus tree serves as primary food to the koala bear. Bees are attracted to the flowers of theEucalyptus, and the honey from these bees is highly prized in Australia. Because of its aromatic and long lasting quality, the young leaves are a "best seller" in flower stores.  Medicinal Uses

Doctors and herbalists around the world use Eucalyptus in medicines to treat many sicknesses such as: 

• infections, 
• colds, 
• flu, 
• sore throats, 
• bronchitis,
•  pneumonia, 
• aching, 
• stiffness, 
• neuralgia and even
•  some skin infections.

Blog 124-365