2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
How often can we admire the beautiful and fragrant white flowers of robinia, which is often called white acacia, in parks and squares. North America is considered the birthplace of this tree; at the beginning of the 19th century, robinia seeds were brought to Russia. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant with medicinal properties
Robinia pseudoacacia belongs to the legume family, the erroneous botanical name is white acacia. Robinia is a fast growing breed with drought tolerant properties. By the age of 30, the tree grows old, intensive growth stops at an average height of 20 - 25 m and a trunk diameter of up to 1, 2 m, the crown becomes less frequent, the bark cracks.
The crown of acacia is lush, openwork, rounded top, has several tiers of leafy branches. The bark of young trees is smooth, green or brown, cracks with age, becomes dark, thick, deeply grooved. Acacia shoots are often covered with small, hard spines. These thorns are modified leaves with a sharp end, sickle. Leaves are pinnate, have short petioles, light green with a silvery sheen. Robinia has a strong root system with a main shaft and branched roots lying horizontally in the topsoil.
White acacia blooms, starting from the first or second year of life. The flowers are numerous, small, white, solitary, collected in drooping cylindrical racemes.
The fruit of the white acacia is a pod with an elongated ovoid, oblong-reniform or variably curved shape, overstretched or segmented, sometimes with a nose bent upward, dark green or dark brown, 5-10 cm long, with 3-15 dark seeds …
Chemical composition
Robinia flowers contain glycosides, essential oils, haliotropin, salicylic acid esters. The strong aroma of acacia flowers is due to the smell of essential oils containing anthranilic acid ester.
Flavonoids, glycosides, fatty oils, phytosterol, vitamins A and C. were found in the bark of young shoots and leaves.
Pectins and mucus are found in all intact parts of the acacia tree.
Medical use
White acacia is successfully used in folk medicine. All parts of the plant are used: leaves, flowers, branches, bark.
Robinia flowers are used medicinally as a decoction for diseases of the bladder and kidneys, kidney and urolithiasis. Usually flowers are harvested half-open, in May. Dry in the shade, often turning over. Acacia tinctures are used in mixtures with bearberry leaves, tansy flowers, blue cornflower, licorice root. With rheumatism, alcohol tincture is taken externally.
Taking tinctures of white acacia flowers inside the body gets an antispasmodic, antipyretic, expectorant, hemostatic effect. Dry powder from robinia flowers is part of some medicines for tumors, anorexia, mastopathy and other female diseases.
A hot broth or alcohol tincture of the bark of young branches is used for gastric ulcer, increased acidity of gastric juice, and constipation.
In aromatherapy, acacia oil creates a tonic effect thanks to its subtle, unobtrusive scent.
White acacia honey is very useful, it strengthens the immune system, stabilizes sleep. Cataracts and conjunctivitis can be treated with acacia honey.
Before using Robinia products, remember that parts of the trees contain poisonous components, therefore, the dosage of the drug should be carefully observed to avoid acute poisoning
Cooking applications
Sometimes white acacia flowers are used in cooking; with special processing, leaves and seeds are taken for food.
Recommended:
Acacia
Acacia (Latin Acacia) - a genus of shrubs and trees of the legume family. Under natural conditions, representatives of the genus are found in Asia, South America, Africa and Australia. Typical habitats are dry desert, rocky areas, lowlands, river valleys, mountainous areas.
White Acacia Or Robinia
Today, only a person who is very lazy or indifferent to nature does not have a suburban area. Everyone wants to make it as comfortable as possible and make the garden as attractive as possible. But not everyone thinks that a garden can be not only picturesque, but also healthy, if plants with medicinal properties are planted in it. One of these plants is Robinia False Acacia, often mistakenly called "White Acacia"
Silver Acacia
Silver acacia (Latin Acacia dealbata) - a representative of the genus Acacia of the Legume family. Another name is Acacia whitewashed. In Russia and the countries of the former USSR, the culture is often called mimosa. In natural conditions, it grows on the southeast coast of Australia, the island of Tasmania, Madagascar, South Africa and southern Europe.
Robinia False Acacia
Robinia pseudoacacia (lat.Robinia pseudoacacia) - ornamental shrub; a representative of the genus Robinia of the legume family. Other names are robinia pseudoacacia, robinia pseudoacacia. One of the fastest growing species actively used to strengthen railway embankments and form a windbreak.
The Ubiquitous Acacia False Shield
Acacia pseudoscale lives almost everywhere and develops on various tree and shrub species. Most often it can be found on white acacia, plum, apple and hazel trees. As a result of feeding of females and harmful larvae, the number of leaves and their size are noticeably reduced, yellowed leaves quickly fall off, and shoots and twigs gradually dry out. The quality of the crop, as well as its quantity, also decreases markedly. And if the damage is very significant and repetitive in the flow
