Accession Count: 1
Common Name:
stinking wattle, gidgee, stinking gidgee
Family Name:
Fabaceae
Botanical Name:
Acacia cambagei
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
The gidgee tree is a sturdy evergreen with a rounded or irregular canopy that stretches 15 to 40 ft tall. The bark of the tree is flakey and light gray that becomes fissured and darker with age (1,2). Leaves of the gidgee tree are 1.5-5.5 inches in length, silver-gray in color, and lanced-shaped (1). The Inflorescences of the stinking wattle appear in groups of 4-10 along the raceme axis (2). The flowers of the tree are small and spherical in shape and sporadically flower from autumn into spring (1,2). The seedpods of the gidgee tree are narrowly oblong and flat reaching lengths of 5 inches. Individual seeds of the gidgee tree are 5-9 mm long, broadly elliptic, and dark brown (2).
Compound:
aca cam
Geographic Origin:
Australia
Ecozone Origin:
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
The gidgee tree is endemic to Australia and primarily found around Queensland but extends into central and southern Australia (2,3). The common name, stinking wattle and stinking gidgee come from the odor emitted by the bark and leaves (3).
Cultivation Notes:
The slow growing gidgee tree can withstand drought and frost (1). The stinking wattle tolerates a wide range of soils but prefers fertile clay and clay-loam soils (2, 3). In cultivation, established trees can withstand high winds and extended periods of drought. The gidgee tree is not currently cultivated in the United States, however, it would make an excellent addition to bring in shade in a hot desert climate based on field tests at the Desert Legume Program in Tucson, Arizona (1, 6).
Ethnobotany:
The gidgee tree has been used by native Kalkadoon aborigines to make nulla nulla’s, boomerangs, swords, and clapsticks (4,5). Gidgee wood is used today as a long-lasting firewood, fence posts, and turnery (1,4). The gum of a gidgee tree can be eaten as a honey like treat or used to cure a sore throat (5).
Height:
20 - 50 feet
Width:
16 - 20 feet
Growth Rate:
Slow Growing
Grow Season:
Spring
Flower Season:
Summer
Color:
Yellow
Function:
Shade
Spread:
Non-spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Benign
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Hardy
Water Use:
Moderate Water Use
Citations:
- Acacia cambagei | Desert Legume Program (arizona.edu) Retrieved on July 25th, 2022.
- https://apps.lucidcentral.org/wattle/text/entities/acacia_cambagei.htm Retrieved on July 26th, 2022.
- Acacia cambagei Wiki (everipedia.org) Retrieved on August 7th, 2022.
- Lathe and Chisel - The Beauty and Strength of Australian Gidgee Timber Retrieved on August 7th, 2022.
- Gidyea or Gidgee Tree (cherneesutton.com.au) Retrieved on August 8th, 2022
- https://cals.arizona.edu/desertlegumeprogram/content/about-delep Retrieved on August 8th, 2022
