The huizacheAcacia farnesiana) It is an arboreal species with abundant thorns and aromatic flowers belonging to the Mimosoideae subfamily of the Fabaceae family. Also known as sweet acacia, aromo, bayahonda, hawthorn, aroma flower, güizache or zubinché, it is a species native to the dry environments of the American tropics.
It is a medium shrub-like tree, with a uniform and compact crown of bipinnate leaves developed along the branches. Branched and spiny stem, with abundant tiny flowers constituted in spherical, compact, yellow and very fragrant inflorescences..
It is a species used for the reforestation of degraded lands, it has useful compounds at an industrial or medicinal level and it is a source of firewood or fuel. In some regions it is considered an invasive plant due to its colonizing capacity of grasslands and intervened environments.
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The huizache is a small, branched and thorny shrub or tree, 1-2 meters high with an average thickness of about 40 cm. Evergreen or sub-deciduous, it has a wide, oval crown with a 3-10 meter leaf coverage..
The alternate and bipinnate leaves have a pair of stipulate spines 1-2 cm long, for a total size of 2-8 cm including the petiole. Each leaflet contains 2-8 opposing pairs of primary pinnae and 10-25 opposing pairs of secondary pinnae 3-8 cm long.
The stem is short and thin with abundant ramifications that are born from the base of the stem. The erect branches, sometimes spreading or zigzagging, have rigid spines 5-25 mm in length.
The outer bark is flat when young and cracked in adult plants, of brown to gray-leaden tones and with numerous lenticels. The inner bark is fibrous and yellowish in color, with a particular garlic taste and smell.
The flowers are made up of a glomerulus or densely grouped inflorescences forming a yellow globose mass. These strongly scented structures emerge solitary or clustered 2-3 from the axillary stipules.
The fruit is a curly and leathery legume, 2-10 cm long, solitary or paired, smooth or slightly striated diagonally. These pods are late dehiscent and remain attached to the tree after maturing..
The seed is a smooth reniform grain, 7-8 cm long, brown in color with an open fissure line and arranged in double rows..
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Division: Magnoliophyta
- Class: Magnoliopsida
- Order: Fabales
- Family: Fabaceae
- Subfamily: Mimosoideae
- Tribe: Acacieae
- Gender: Acacia
- Species: Acacia farnesiana (L.) Willd.
The Acacia farnesiana It is a species native to tropical America, from Peru, Colombia and Brazil to Florida, Louisiana, Texas and California in the southern US In Europe it was introduced from Santo Domingo by the Jesuits in the mid-17th century during the Spanish colonial period.
At present it is distributed throughout the tropical and warm zones around the world. Its wide level of distribution is due to natural and anthropogenic factors, even in some regions it is considered an invasive species.
It is a plant that adapts to soils of low fertility, poor in organic content, sandy, dry, saline and even alkaline..
It predominates in warm and semi-warm climatic regions, with average annual rainfall of 500-750 mm and a temperature range between 5 and 30 ºC. Indeed, it requires full sun exposure for its optimal development, being also tolerant to drought or low levels of precipitation..
The huizache generally grows on intervened, ruderal land, fallow land and abandoned land. Likewise, outside of cultivation areas or pastures, roads, paths, streams or water courses.
The huizache is a species that has a wide range of adaptation in terms of soils, humidity and temperature. It lives in arid or semi-arid regions and has an extensive root system capable of penetrating to deep water tables..
It adapts to temperature variations between 0 and 48 ºC, low relative humidity and low annual precipitation. It requires full sun exposure to grow, so it is established in open places. It also tolerates strong winds in winter times.
It grows on acidic and saline soils, even on sodium and stony soils characteristic of the coastal and Mediterranean regions. Indeed, it needs loose, deep and well-drained soils, as it is resistant to drought, but is susceptible to waterlogging.
This species has a great capacity to adapt to different environments and has attractive flowers with a pleasant fragrance. In fact, it usually flowers twice a year, a particular aspect of the species that makes it more appreciated..
The huizache reproduces by seed, thanks to its wide capacity to adapt to various unfavorable soil conditions. The seeds can remain dormant for several years until conditions improve and thus generate a new plant..
For its commercial propagation, the ripe fruits are harvested from January to April, selecting the dark fruits, free of physical damage or perforations. To achieve their germination, the seeds are placed on a substrate with a high content of organic matter and abundant irrigation, barely covered superficially..
Germination begins 25-35 days after sowing, obtaining 85-100% germination depending on the quality of the seed. After 8-12 days, the seedlings will be ready for pealing and transplanting to their growing place..
There are various reproduction systems to obtain vigorous and good-sized seedlings. These include plastic bags, containers, paper pot, Jiffy pressed peat discs or bare root cultivation..
Regardless of the system selected, constant watering and protection from direct sunlight must be maintained. As well as management in terms of weed control, organic or chemical fertilization and control of pests or diseases.
To plant the final site, it is essential to prepare the planting area. If the soil is very compact, it is recommended to dig deep and place some stones with sand to allow drainage..
At the time of sowing it is convenient to moisten the land and add an organic fertilizer that allows to have nutritious elements. Likewise, remove the soil in the final site to avoid contact of the roots with the fertilizer and avoid possible damage..
Huizache can also be propagated vegetatively through cuttings. For this process, pieces of semi-hard wood obtained in summer time are selected..
A clean, sharp knife makes a precise cut into the base of the stake. Subsequently, by the place of the cut it is immersed in a mixture of plant hormones before placing in a rooting bed.
It is advisable to keep the stakes protected from the sun and covered with a plastic material that maintains a constant temperature of 21 ºC. Once bud sprouting has started, the seedlings are transferred to plastic bags under semi-shady conditions until transplantation to the final site..
The huizache does not require specific maintenance to obtain highly productive plants. However, it is convenient to provide adequate conditions of humidity, fertilization, weeding and control of pests or diseases.
During the initial phase of growth and development, it is convenient to apply continuous watering in order to favor the development of the root system. Likewise, during the summer season water sparingly and in spring carry out organic or chemical fertilization..
Maintenance pruning is not necessary unless the plant has received physical damage from high winds. Sanitation pruning is necessary when there is any physiopathy or incidences of pests and diseases.
In some regions the leaves are used as a salad dressing in the preparation of certain artisan dishes. On the other hand, the stem, leaves, flowers and pods are used as fodder for cattle of the bovine and goat type.
The plant material, trunk, stems and branches is used as firewood to obtain a charcoal with excellent properties. Indeed, the coal obtained from the huizache has a moderate combustion and has a high calorific content.
The exudate obtained from the trunk of the huizache is used as a substitute for gum arabic or as mucilage. In addition, the viscous liquid that is extracted from the immature pods is used to glue ceramic or porcelain figures.
From the flowers and fruits they obtain certain vegetable pigments that are used as colorants to dye fabrics and wallpaper. In fact, from the ground and boiled pods a black infusion is obtained that is used as ink..
The bark and pods of this species have a high content of tannins, a highly astringent substance used in the leather tanning process. The pods of the fruit present approximately 12-18% of this phenolic compound known as tannins..
The flowers macerated with vegetable shortening or coconut oil, an essential oil with a pleasant violet smell is obtained. Huizache is widely cultivated in some countries exclusively to use its oil in the production of cosmetic products such as ointments, powders or flavorings..
The Acacia farnesiana It has multiple medicinal and healing properties aimed at preserving the health and well-being of alternative treatment patients. The active principles with medicinal properties are extracted as infusion or macerated from the roots, stems and leaves, as well as flowers and fruits..
The leaves and flowers of the huizache have therapeutic properties that, through infusions, can alleviate digestive disorders and diarrhea. Likewise, it acts as a cleanser for the gallbladder and prevents typhoid, spasms and a distended spleen..
On the other hand, it is used as a natural painkiller and allows to regulate the level of gastric acid in the stomach, preventing heartburn. Used in gargles it is effective to soothe throat disorders such as tonsillitis, esophagitis or laryngitis.
Used as a decoction it can alleviate ailments of the bronchi, flu and expectoration. In addition, it is used regularly as a muscle relaxant and as a snack to stimulate the appetite.
A strong potion prepared from the roots of the huizache is consumed diluted in water to relieve vaginal hemorrhoids. The macerated fruit is applied to the teeth to strengthen the teeth and calm ulcers or mouth fires..
Likewise, with the maceration of the fruit an ointment with an antispasmodic effect is obtained, which, applied on the nape and forehead, relieves headache. Finally, green fruit tea is used as an astringent and regulates mucous and skin abscesses..
The huizache grows on sandy and stony soils that, due to their high porosity conditions, are relatively dry. Due to its high level of adaptation, this species is planted under these conditions to consolidate sandy areas and arid or sterile soils..
It is a species used to establish living fences in cultivated land and to separate paddocks or pastures. Due to its large number of thorns, it becomes an impenetrable fence.
The various species of the genus Acacia, including the Acacia farnesiana, contain in the bark, leaves and seeds certain cyanogenic glycosides and derivatives of dimethyltryptamine. The uncontrolled ingestion of these substances can cause serious toxicity problems in the body and, therefore, in the health of the consumer.
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