Earleaf acacia
Acacia auriculiformis A.Cunn. ex Benth.
Earleaf acacia (Acacia auriculiformis) is a fast-growing, nitrogen-fixing tree widely planted for pulpwood, fuelwood and erosion control; its “leaves” are really flattened leaf stalks (phyllodes).
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Earleaf acacia — PlantEarleaf acacia — Whole tree
Earleaf acacia — Fruit & seeds
Earleaf acacia — Flowers
Earleaf acacia — Leaves
Earleaf acacia — Seeds & young plantsEarleaf acacia — PlantEarleaf acacia — Whole treeOverview
A tree 8–20 m tall with smooth to fissured grey bark. The flattened, sickle-shaped phyllodes are 10–20 cm long and alternate. Tiny cream-yellow flowers form long axillary spikes; the flat, twisted pod splits at maturity, releasing black seeds with orange arils.
Root nodules with nitrogen-fixing bacteria improve the soil. The tree grows very fast and tolerates acid, poor and seasonally dry soils; its wood is used for pulp, chips, packaging, fuel and charcoal.
Life cycle
From seed to productSeed
Black orange-aril seeds are sown after hot-water treatment and germinate in 2–4 weeks.
Seedling
Seedlings grow very fast, produce phyllodes early and root strongly, tolerating poverty.
Flowering
Cream-yellow spikes bloom profusely; trees flower from 2–3 years.
Fruiting · harvest
Pods dry, split and release seed; timber is harvested after 6–10 years.
Distribution & origin
Share of recorded occurrences by region- Australia · New Guinea (native)18%
- Vietnam (planted)24%
- Other Southeast Asia22%
- India · South Asia20%
- Africa · China16%
Chemical composition
Relative content in agarwood resin- TanninsIn bark and phyllodes40%
- FlavonoidsAntioxidant30%
- Wood fibre (cellulose)Pulp material30%
Uses
- Pulpwood, chips and engineered board
- Fuelwood, charcoal; soil improvement via nitrogen fixation
- Windbreaks, erosion control and agroforestry shade
Properties
- “Leaf”
- Flattened, sickle-shaped phyllode
- Flower
- Cream-yellow, long spikes
- Fruit
- Flat twisted pod, orange-aril seeds
Habitat & conservation
Native to coastal and savanna zones of northern Australia and New Guinea; tolerates poor, acid, seasonally waterlogged and dry soils; planted on barren hills, coastal sands and degraded land.
Conservation
Not globally threatened (IUCN: Least Concern). Widely planted across the tropics; outside its native range it can spread and become invasive, needing control.
References
- 1Plants of the World Online — Acacia auriculiformis — Kew Science, 2024
- 2IUCN Red List — Acacia auriculiformis — IUCN, 2019
- 3CABI Invasive Species Compendium — Acacia auriculiformis — CABI, 2022
- 4Hình ảnh minh hoạ lấy từ Wikimedia Commons, tôn trọng giấy phép ghi kèm — Wikimedia Commons,
- 5Nguồn ảnh: Forestry and Forest Products, CSIRO (CC BY 3.0), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,
- 6Nguồn ảnh: J.M.Garg (CC BY-SA 3.0), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,
- 7Nguồn ảnh: Murray Fagg (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,
- 8Nguồn ảnh: Forest & Kim Starr (CC BY 3.0), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,
- 9Nguồn ảnh: Forest and Kim Starr (CC BY 3.0 us), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,
- 10Nguồn ảnh: Yercaud-elango (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,