Acacia tree is a popular tree. This is used to make various kinds of things for your home. It is mainly used in making food bowls or plates as it is antibacterial.
Acacia tree is said to have thorns. You may ask if these thorns are poisonous or not. Let us provide you with the information you are looking for with some additional information that we think you may find important.
Acacia tree thorns
Acacia tree thorns are not poisonous by nature but can become toxic when it feels endangered. The thorns of the Acacia tree do not have any poison by themselves. But when it gets any indication that it may be in danger, the leaf starts to build up poison, which also starts to build in the thorns.
Acacia tree is an umbrella looking tree. It can grow tall and big at an open area. This tree is found to be popular in places where water is limited.
There are almost 900 species. Among them, nearly all of them have a common feature which is they all have thorns.
These thorns are basically a self defense mechanism for the tree. As they grow in an exposed area, they need to protect themselves from various enemies. Animals that eat vegetation for a living are their main enemy.
To protect themselves from these animals, they have several self defense mechanisms. Among them, their thorns are one of the most effective mechanisms that they have.
This helps them protect themselves from the animals around them. But these thorns do not produce or have poison all the time.
Sometimes, when the plants signal that other Acacia trees are endangered, it starts to build up poison in their bodies. This poison is stored in their leaves. It is also stored in their thorns as well. At that time, the thorns become poisonous.
If any animal gets a puncture by the Acacia tree thorn after the poison is produced, the animal will face various health issues.
Although the poison might not be that much dangerous, it can cause long time problems to the animals. The same thing will happen to human bodies if anyone gets a puncture of Acacia tree thorn after the poison builds up.
You may ask which species of Acacia tree have poisonous thorns. Actually, there are many species that have thorns, but none are poisonous.
But let us provide you the information about some widely available Acacia trees and if they have poisonous thorns or not.
Desert acacia:
Desert acacia grows Acacia tree thorns which are not poisonous. As animals in the desert are always in search of water, they try to eat up any tree that they can find.
They can gather their water by consuming the fresh green trees. Desert acacia is one of the most available trees in the desert and there is a high chance that animals will eat them. This is why they have thorns, but these are not poisonous.
African Acacia:
African Acacia can have Acacia tree thorns which are not poisonous. This specie of Acacia tree is commonly found in the African region.
As it needs to live in the open environment among various animals which are always in search of food, it has thorns on its body all the time. These help them prevent animals from eating them.
Acacia raddiana:
Acacia raddiana does not have poisonous Acacia tree thorns. This species is also known as Vachellia totilis. In its generic name, we find that it has an umbrella shape and thorns are on its body.
The thorns are used for self defense purposes when they feel dangered or are in the process of reproduction.
Why are acacia thorns problematic?
Acacia thorns are problematic because they cause morbidity if left untreated. Acacia plant is one of the most unique looking plants around there.
This is called the plant of the desert. This plant can be grown in other regions. But it is widely seen in areas where there is less water.
Acacia plants usually have thorns. These thorns are problematic in some cases. These thorns can cause harm to animals.
As a result, people usually do not plant acacia trees in a populated area. The thorns can puncture the skin of any animal and cause severe pain.
This can also cause a spread of infection in the area where the thorn has punctured. Hence it has to be treated by a medical doctor within the shortest possible time. If left untreated, it can cause morbidity.
The thorns are also home to ants. Ants can cause a lot of other problems for us. When the number of ants is very high, they cause a lot of damage to your property. So, the thorn of Acacia is really problematic.
Why do acacia trees have thorns?
Acacia trees usually have thorns for several reasons. All of the reasons indicate the significance of why acacia trees have them. You may want to know why acacia trees have thrones. Let us discuss the important reasons why acacia trees have thorns.
Self defense for other animals:
Acacia trees have thorns all over them for a significant purpose. The significant purpose is self defense.
Self defense is an important matter for trees like Acacia trees. Most trees do not have a working self defense mechanism. This is why plant eating animals harm them, as the trees cannot defend themselves.
The acacia tree is different than other trees. It usually has sharp spikes all along its body.
These spikes are used for self defense of the Acacia tree. They keep the plant eater animals away from eating them as the spikes hurt them when they come near to the plant.
Providing space for other defenders:
The spikes of the Acacia are not only used for self defense. Ants are commonly found in the thorns of the Acacia. They live in the thorns of the Acacia without getting themselves hurt.
Ants are known as defender animals. When any animal attempts to hurt an Acacia tree with ants living in it, the ants defend their home in various ways. They bite the animal in many ways.
As a result, the animal avoids this tree. This is how Acacia tree defends themselves by giving living space to a defender.
Which acacia trees have thorns?
Acacia trees have almost 900 species. All of these do not have thorns. But almost most of the species do have thorns. An Acacia tree species may have thorns based on the geographical location of where it was born.
You may want to know the name of the species of acacia trees that may have thorns. Here are the names that we think you think are important to know.
Acacia paradoxa:
This specie is popularly found in Australia, South Africa and the western part of the United States. This specie can grow in salty waters. It has thorns all over its body. These thorns are called kangaroo thorns.
Acacia linifolia:
The other name of this specie is Flax-leaf Wattle. This species grows beautiful white flowers in the summer and winter. To protect the flowers, thorns grow all over the body of the plant.
Acacia ulicifolia:
This was previously known as Acania juniperina. It is usually used as a privacy hedge. It is also called prickly Moses or Juniper Wattle.
How do you treat an acacia thorn puncture?
There are many ways to treat an acacia thorn puncture. All of them are more or less effective in curing. You may want to know the simplest and most effective way to treat it. Here is the simplest and most effective way to treat an acacia thorn puncture.
Remove the thorn:
The first thing to treat a puncture like this is to remove the thorn from the wound. Use tweezers to remove the thorn. Remove it gently from the wound. If the thorn is stuck when pulling, consult with a doctor immediately.
Disinfect the puncture wound:
After removing the thorn, you will need to disinfect the area. Use water to remove any kind of dirt from the wound. Use disinfectant solution to clean of any bacteria and to prevent any kind of infection from spreading around the area.
Apply antibiotic medicine and bandage the wound:
Apply antibiotic medicine after cleaning the area. Do not use too much medicine. Bandage the wound properly when you finish applying the medicine.
Do the same thing if the wound does not heal after one application. You may need to use antifungal creams and antibiotics if your doctor prescribes them. Follow the prescription provided by your doctor at all times.
Final Thoughts
Acacia tree thorns are not poisonous. The tree has thorns all over its body to protect itself from leaf eater animals and to provide shelter to defenders. But this plant can build up poison when it senses danger near it and can become poisonous. But this poison is not that much dangerous.