Common Name: White Acacia

General Information

Faidherbia albida is one of the largest deciduous thorn trees with spreading branches and a rounded crown; It generally grows up to 20 metres tall, but is capable of reaching up to 30 metres. The bole is usually up to 100cm in diameter, occasionally to 150cm[, ].
A multi-purpose tree, it provides food, medicines and a range of commodities for the local population. It is highly valued as a soil stabilizer and is used to provide shade for plantation crops. It makes a good ornamental and can be planted in gardens and along avenues[].

Known Hazards

The seeds are toxic[].

Botanical References

Range

Africa, from South Africa north through eastern Africa to Sudan, Eritrea and on to Israel.

Habitat

Banks of seasonal and perennial rivers and streams on sandy alluvial soils or on flat land where Vertisols predominate[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	25.00 m
Pollinators	Butterflies, Insects
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

White acacia succeeds from the tropical to warm temperate zones, thriving in climates that are characterized by long summers, or a dry season with long days[]. It grows best in an altitude range of about 270 - 2,700 metres[]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 18 - 30°c[]. It is intolerant of frost[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 400 - 1,000mm, but tolerates 250 - 1,200mm[]. It has succeeded in areas with 1,800mm and, provided there is access to underground water, it can grow independent of rainfall, such as in the Namib Desert[].
Requires a sunny position, growing best in a coarse-textured, well-drained alluvial soil[]. It tolerates seasonal waterlogging and saline conditions, but cannot withstand heavy clayey soils[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7, tolerating 5 - 7.5[]. The tree has roots that can penetrate 40 metres into the soil to find groundwater and thus help it to withstand drought, even for periods of several years[, ].
Observed production of seed by isolated trees is an indication that there is no strict self-incompatibility[].
The plant has an 'inverted phenology' - it is deciduous during the wet season and produces its leaves in the dry season[].
Initial top growth can be rather slow as the plant focuses on developing the tap root. One year old plants can be up to 80cm tall and up to 450cm tall by the time they are 5 years old[]. On very good sites this can be increased, with trees up to 10.5 metres tall at the age of 7 years[].
Plants commence flowering in about their seventh year and subsequent flowerings occur 1 - 2 months after the start of the dry season, lasting for up to 5 months[].
The tree responds well to coppicing and regrowth is usually quite vigorous[, ].
For bees, the tree has the advantage of producing its flowers at the end of the rains while most of the Sahelian species flower just before or during the rains. It therefore becomes their main source of pollen and nectar at this time[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[].

Edible Uses

The seeds are eaten by local people during the dry season[, ]. They are eaten in times of shortage[]. The seed is toxic, and is only eaten after an elaborate detoxification procedure[].

Medicinal

The use of the bark and roots by local peoples is widespread[]. They are astringent and febrifuge[]. They are used, either externally or internally, as a treatment for respiratory infections, digestive disorders, haemorrhages, malaria and other fevers etc[, ].
The bark is used to clean the teeth, as it is believed to contain fluorine. An extract is used to treat toothache[].

Agroforestry Uses:

White acacia is a very good soil improver and stabilizer[]. Its spreading root system offers excellent protection to the soil along the banks of watercourses. Bacteria on its roots fix atmospheric nitrogen, whilst it also sheds its leaves in the rainy season; therefore boosting the nutrient status of the soil for the new season’s crops[]. The fact that the tree is leafless during the rainy season minimizes competition for sunlight with crops and protects them from birds until harvest time[]. It is commonly intercropped with annual crops, especially pearl millet and groundnuts[].
Yields of millet are much higher under a canopy of this tree; increases of 50 - 150% having been recorded. Results for sorghum, cotton, groundnut and maize are variable and either positive or negative, depending on the study. The effect may depend on soil fertility - when this is high, the tree competes with the crops[].
The tree is maintained and protected on farms in order to shade coffee and to provide shade during the dry season[].
The plant has been recommended for integration with maize as an alternative to Leucaena leucocephala[].

Other Uses

A gum arabic, called 'Gomme de Senegal', is obtained from the stems[].

The bark is used to clean the teeth, as it is believed to contain fluorine[].

The bark contains 20 - 28%f tannins[, ].

The wood is burnt and used as a source of potash when making soap[, ].

The heartwood is pale and creamy; the brown sapwood slightly paler than the heartwood. The wood is hard, of medium weight. It is susceptible to staining fungi and pinhole borer when green; therefore, it is left to soak for several months to remove sap and minimize attack by fungi, borers and termites. Even after the most careful seasoning, the boards tend to spring and twist one or two hours after they are sawn. The wood works fairly easily by hand, but a smooth finish is difficult to obtain. Care must be taken when nailing, bolting and joining. It is used to make utensils, handicrafts, canoes, furniture, boxes, drums and oil presses[, ].
The wood is an excellent fuel[]. The calorific value is estimated at 19.741 kJ/kg of dry wood[]. It is used to make a high quality charcoal[]. Charcoal yields are as low as 17%[].

Propagation

Seed - germinates best, especially after storage, if it is pre-soaked in warm water for 24 hours prior to sowing. Germination rates of 40 - 60% can be expected within 6 - 30 days[]. Mechanical scarification prior to sowing is reported to yield 95% germination within 8 days[]. The seed is best sown in nursery beds or containers since direct seeding often leads to the high failure rate[]. Seedlings quickly develop a deep taproot and so need to be planted out as quickly as possible - they are normally ready for planting out when 3 - 4 months old[, ].
The seed should be removed from the pods immediately it is ripe, since it is usually invaded by larvae of Bruchid beetles[]. When kept free of insects in simple closed containers, the seed can be stored successfully for several years[].
Promising new vegetative propagation methods include cuttings, grafting and multiplication by root fragments[].

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