Acacia maidenii Perth

[Koala (Luke Perth)]

Hey Guys,

I'm new to the forums my name is Luke and I'm from Perth.

I just wanted to get a bit of information from some of the guys here in Perth. Firstly does Perth have a large amount of psychoactive Acacia wattles? and secondly would anyone be able to maybe show me around Perth to find some of the wattles?

Thanks very much!

Great to be apart of the forums!

-Luke

[naja naja]

TAFE run great Horticultural courses on plant I'd.

[gerbil]

Hi luke,

you're interested in Acacia hey?? Cool

Acacias are very important species within any given ecosystem, to me they are essentially the blood that allow it to function over the long term with their help and activity within the given ecosystem at specific times, they are great for fixing gaseous nutrient from the air with the help of fungal and bacterial associations, bind soil, create microclimate, create food, shelter, hunting perches etc etc. Their role within nature is incredibly important and highly valuable.

My point being that we should not be interfering with their natural process, or if we have to, at least do it with the absolute minimal impact...to me the primarily one here that screams out loud is ethical seed collection and the adjoining growth of said seed. It is very important that we don't chop down Acacias in the wild, even taking dead/fallen trees can be questioned depending on how deep you wish to talk ecology and the dead parts do serve a purpose, but obviously is much more sustainable than felling live specimens.

So what am I getting at?? Your post indicates a specific interest imo, which is great, but IMO should not come at a detrimental cost to our natural environment.

My point?? I highly recommend for you to set up a small growing environment, purchase some seed or get appropriate permits (and learn the ethics) of in field seed collection, and grow as many as you can, multiple sowings over multiple years and cycle again and again. Do this ASAP, the more time you let go, the further down the track a seedling will reach say 5 years old, yes it takes patience and time, but the more it gets put off, it seems the more off put the individual and the higher likelihood of live specimens being felled.

To me this isn't a case of having the ability to ID, it is about learning how human actions will impact on an environment in a negative manner, in the short term it seems pretty rosey, but give it time and I think we'll realise the disastrous consequences of wild Acacia harvesting. IMO collect seed ethically, grow them and distribute these offspring and associated seed to interested parties. At the same time, individiuals must also be responsible for keeping said plants confined to their land and not escape into a foreign ecosystem.

If you are truely interested in such fields i'm sure you'll fit in to this community very well, to me ethnobotany is a well rounded field that becomes a lifestyle, the use of plant sacraments is essentially supplemental to the existence we are present in, I feel that if I directly destroy the environment then claim to be enlightened to an associated substance, then the lesson really was not learnt and I simply cheated myself and created a comfort zone in which it makes me satisified that I did the right thing.

Maybe I misinterpreted hehe :D you're probably a keen photographer right?? lol

Welcome Luke

Edited January 29, 2007 by gerbil

[Koala (Luke Perth)]

Thanks for that Gerbil!

Yeah I'm a big photographer! hehe

Thanks for the welcome, and Ive actually already ordered a whole lot of seeds to begin growing some Maidenii!

Would you be able to help me with finding information on growing Acacia wattles, e.g. climate, soils, etc

Thanks very much!

-Luke

[obtuse]

hi Luke,

Yeah I'm sorta in the same boat, but fortunately this forum is a great help, and i have already been helped considerably.

I started a thread recently asking about my sick obtusafolia. The responses i got were very helpful indeed. you may find it interesting as a starting point.

(http://www.shaman-australis.com/forum/inde...showtopic=11877)

Some links i found and still find helpful are:

http://www.australianplants.org/fsheight.htm

http://www.worldwidewattle.com/infogallery/cultivation/

And of course:

http://mulga.yage.net/acacia/

Make sure you have a good look through www.worldwidewattle.com - there is really good stuff in that site.

I agree with gerbil that it is important to start growing our own and leave those in the wild alone. Definitely the responsible thing to do.

Anyway, good luck with your seedlings,

Cheers, Obtuse

[Ethnopiate]

I might just chime in and say there is a nursery or two around that sell seedlings for very reasonable prices. I don't think we are allowed to link to or mention vendor sites but as an Eg; (from a tree farm a fair ways north)

Acacia acuminata Rasberry Jam Wattle, Jam Wattle 50 mm $1.40 Yes

I have released many of these around the place to share. You can also buy punnets and even trays of seedlings. It's easier to buy an extra few and give them to friends as valued presents or plant amongst existing stands of similar varieties for years to come.

I stand by what gerbil mentioned too.

I also just posted it to the WA thread but I have recently seen these beautiful organisms ripped clean out of the ground by 4x4's and the root balls cut off, right by the side of the road. Not on. I think it is an accurate statement to say you will not find the above mentioned Wattles between the scarp and coast.

It's quite a drive to get to see good photographic specimens unmolested, and a sad one at that seeing the destruction along the way. As is the way with most of what humans want, if it was taken for profit only, not much thought, if any, was put into the repercusions of the immediate environment or the imact on an ecosystem from removing vital organisms from it so violently.

Happy trails!

Tread lightly, best leave no path at all.

[Bush Turkey]

woah. epic bump

Edited July 10, 2014 by Bush Turkey

[Ethnopiate]

Shit! Yeah, didn't notice the dates! Lesson learned.

Oh well, needed to refresh peoples minds of such things once in a while. ;-)

Note to self... check when posted.