Are there trees with edible fruit from the family Mimosaceae?

Question

I am looking to graft (I hope this is the right word) some fruit on top of an "Acacia saligna".

Can this be done? What fruit tree types would be suitable for this?

The temperatures where I live range from -2°C in the winter up to around 38°C in the summer.

I think currently that family has been circumscribed into... Family: Fabaceae. Subfamily: Mimosoideae — Grady Player, May 22 '12 at 13:19

kevinskio · Answer 1 · 2012-05-22T14:58:35.873

This is a very interesting tree. It fixes nitrogen, can be used to retain soil in gullies and grows in tough areas. It is also considered invasive in parts of North America as it forms large stands of only this species which exclude all other species.

Around the world it is used to make charcoal, particle board and stakes to name only a few uses. The seeds and pods are used as cattle and sheep feed but some species contain phenols and tannins which limit their use by humans.

Acacia farnesiana is more of a shrub than a tree and has edible seeds. This article details some acacia with edible seeds and where they are grown around the world.

So, there are acacia with edible seeds, and you could probably graft them onto your acacia but it's a lot of work and would qualify as original research in horticulture.

Given the challenges of grafting with a species that does not have a long history of grafting I'd rather plant a tree that I like the fruit or seeds of directly.

Edit: Just for clarity you can only graft within a genus. So you cannot graft apple stock on acacia.

This web site seems to be a detailed web site for acacias. You can search for all members of the genus by continent. Theoretically, every acacia listed on the web site is a suitable candidate for grafting. Grafting is not currently practised commercially so no one can tell you how successful you might be. Let us know!

Yeah It may be interesting to try but a rootstock that sends up distant runners seems like a bad idea. — Grady Player, May 22 '12 at 13:22
whats a "genus"? sorry, my "technical" english in this area is not so good. I understand that its some form of a "group" but What "genus" does the "Acacia saligna" belong to? and what other trees belong to this "genus"? I am not afraid to try grafting, at worst It will fail... I did graft some olives and some http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morus_(plant) with success so I am willing to try some more. Does any of the suggestions made by Grady Player have a chance to succeed ? — epeleg, May 22 '12 at 14:42

score 3 · Answer 2 · answered May 22 '12 at 13:41

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The most edible members of Fabaceae that are trees include tamarind (Tamarindus indica),Carob (Ceratonia siliqua), And the acacia that you were asing about... In the new world there are some acacias that have edible pods that are eaten as immature, but the also have great big spines that host ant colonies... There are edible acacia food stuffs, in Gum Arabic, and Acacia Gum.

But if you were interested in a tree that produces food especially in hot dry climates I would look at: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moringa_oleifera

answered May 22 '12 at 13:41

Grady Player

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Just to clarify, You think I could graft Moinga on top of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acacia_saligna ? or you are just recommending it as a tree to grow? Carobs are also good for me if they are "compatible" with the Acacia saligna. I am not familiar with the tamarind other then by name, I will read about is. – epeleg May 22 '12 at 14:32
hmm... wikipedia sais that the tamarind is a tropical tree. I doubt it will survive the winters here... – epeleg May 22 '12 at 14:45
No morangia will not graft to your plant, pretty sure tamarind is subtropical. – Grady Player May 22 '12 at 15:44
Whatever you do, I think you will be basically be doing research. – Grady Player May 22 '12 at 15:46
Shouls survive -2c http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/54388/ – Grady Player May 23 '12 at 04:01
FYI: Carob produces a *lot* of food. – Brōtsyorfuzthrāx May 05 '21 at 05:45

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered May 04 '21 at 18:53

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Prosopsis cineraria is one tree that grows well in hot dry climates and produces edible bean pods. It is in the Mimosoidae subfamily. It is eaten a lot in India.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosopis_cineraria

There are also other Mesquite species whose seeds are edible. These also like hot and dry climates.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEi81D7BfN4

answered May 04 '21 at 18:53

Sam

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I was just thinking about mesquite! :) You beat me to it. Also, people might be interested to know about honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa). It's one of the most cold hardy mesquites. With at least some mesquites, not only are the pods and/or seeds edible, but the smoke from the bark and/or wood is useful for adding flavor. Watch out for thorns. I wasn't able to verify whether carob is included in Mimosoidae, but it's a lot like mesquite. You can get a lot of food from a carob tree. – Brōtsyorfuzthrāx May 05 '21 at 05:33
Here's some mesquite powder online, if the questioner wants to sample it (before getting a plant); it's not the easiest stuff to find (I don't know which species the powder came from): https://nuts.com/cookingbaking/powders/plant-powders/organic-mesquite.html – Brōtsyorfuzthrāx May 05 '21 at 05:34
Carob is not in Mimosoids it seems. – Sam May 07 '21 at 04:32

Are there trees with edible fruit from the family Mimosaceae?

3 Answers3