Blue-Leaved Wattle (Acacia saligna)

Family: Fabaceae or Leguminosae | Edibility: Edible (1/5)

Acacia saligna is an evergreen Shrub growing to 6 m (19ft) by 6 m (19ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8. It is in leaf all year, in flower from February to May. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay and nutritionally poor soils.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Flowers

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Spring, Winter

Flavor & Culinary Uses

Rich in pollen, they are often used in fritters. — Flowers - cooked.; Rich in pollen, they are often used in fritters.; The damaged bark exudes copious amounts of a very acidic gum that seems to show promise for use in pickles and other acidic foodstuffs.

Habitat & North American Range

Sandy, coastal plains, but also in swampy sites and riverbanks to small, rocky hills (often granitic), on poor acid or calcareous sands, under the most dry and adverse soil conditions. (Zone 7, Zone 8, Zone 9, Zone 10)