The Medicinal Herb Info site was created to help educate visitors about the often forgotten wisdom of the old ways of treating illnesses. Many of today's drugs and medicines were originally derived from natural ingredients, combinations of plants and other items found in nature.

We are not suggesting that you ignore the help of trained medical professionals, simply that you have additional options available for treating illnesses. Often the most effective treatment involves a responsible blend of both modern and traditional treatments.

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Acacia

Contents:

Common Names | Parts Usually Used | Plant(s) & Culture | Where Found | Medicinal Properties
Legends, Myths and Stories | Uses | Formulas or Dosages | Resource Links | Bibliography

Scientific Names

Acacia Senegal

Acacia Senegal
  • Acacia senegal L.
  • Acacia greggii
  • Mimosa family
  • Fabaceae family

Common Names

  • Cape gum
  • Egyptian thorn
  • Gum Arabic tree
  • Gum acacia
  • Gum Arabic
  • India gum tree
  • Bablah pods
  • Acacia bambolah
  • Catclaw
  • Cat’s Claw
  • Tear Blanket
  • Uña de gato (Spanish name)
  • Devils claw
  • Paradise flower
  • Long-flowered catclaw

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Parts Usually Used

Gum
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Description of Plant(s) and Culture

Acacia Greggii Bush

Acacia Greggii Bush

Acacia is a small, spiny, leguminous tree or shrub. After the rainy season ends, the stem begins to exude gum, which is collected from December to June for marketing as gum Arabic. The acacia has alternate, bipinnate leaves and axillary racemes of yellow flowers arranged in globose heads. The fruit is an oblong pod.

There are literally dozens of species of acacia, worldwide. Their descriptions and usefulness varies greatly. Be sure to get the advice of a knowledgeable herbalist before using acacia.
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Where Found

Acacia Greggii Leaves

Acacia Greggii Leaves

Acacia senegal L.: Grows in sandy soil, mostly in tropical Africa

Acacia greggii: a member of the Fabaceae family; it is native to the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
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Medicinal Properties

Demulcent, mucilaginous, antiviral
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Legends, Myths and Stories

Acacia Negev

Acacia Negev Tree, Israel

Acacia was a sacred wood for the ancient Hebrews. Moses used acacia wood in building the Ark of the Covenant and the sacred Tabernacle (see Exodus, chapters 25-40).

According to Near-Eastern Christian legend, a thorny species of acacia was used for Christ’s crown of thorns.

Moapa Paiute name for acacia is “Pah oh pimb.” Used for inflammation of the eyes, due to dust; vaqueros and travelers habitually carry acacia seeds and put 4 in each eye on retiring.
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Uses

Gum Arabic’s main effect is to form a protective, soothing coating over inflammations in the respiratory, alimentary, and urinary tracts. It is helpful for coughs, sore throat, and catarrh, eyewash, diarrhea, and dysentery. Sweetened, it is sometimes used for typhoid fever.
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Formulas or Dosages

Gum Arabic is usually dissolved in water to make a mucilage.

Mucilage: a dose is from 1 to 4 tsp.

Syrup: mix 1 part mucilage with 3 parts of a syrup. A dose is from 1-4 tsp.
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Resource Links

Herbs That Fight Viruses

LiveStrong.com: Acacia for Medicinal Uses

Medicinal Plants of the Southwest (US): Acacia

Wikipedia: Acacia

Purdue University, Horticulture: Acacia

Drugs.com: Acacia Gum

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Bibliography

Buy It! Back to Eden, by Jethro Kloss; Back to Eden Publishing Co., Loma Linda, CA 92354, Original copyright 1939, revised edition 1994

Buy It! Indian Uses of Native Plants, by Edith Van Allen Murphey, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, copyright 1958, print 1990

Buy It! The Herb Book, by John Lust, Bantam Books, 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. copyright 1974.

Buy It! Webster’s New World Dictionary, Third College Edition, Victoria Neufeldt, Editor in Chief, New World Dictionaries: A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc., 15 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10023

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