Fast-growing Australian wattle widely planted as a commercial tannin source. The bark contains the highest commercially viable tannin concentration of any common species (28–40%).
Hardiness ratings
| System | Rating | Temperature range | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| USDA hardiness zone | Zone 8–11 | −12.2 °C to 10 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| RHS hardiness rating | H3 | −5 °C to 1 °C | Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance |
| Canadian plant hardiness zone | Zone 9 | −1 °C and warmer | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| Australian (ANBG) zone | Zone 3–7 | −5 °C and warmer | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
Growing notes
- Tannin extracted from the bark — the principal world source of vegetable tannin for the leather industry, with plantations concentrated in South Africa, Brazil, and East Africa
- Distinct from the related wattles already in the database — golden wattle (A. pycnantha), silver wattle (A. dealbata), blackwood acacia (A. melanoxylon) — A. mearnsii is grown specifically for bark tannin
- WARNING: Listed INVASIVE in southern Africa, parts of southern Europe, and the Pacific — escaped from plantations to displace native vegetation, do not plant outside its native eastern Australian range or established plantations
- Nitrogen-fixing legume — improves soils where it grows
Categories
Related plants
Cross-check Black wattle against your zones