Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon)

Blackwood flowers are usually seen between July and October, attracting many birds and insects both as food and as habitat. Seeds are edible. Blackwood is a beautifully grained and strong wood, which many Aboriginal peoples from diverse groups utilised for fashioning weapons such as spear-throwers, shields and clubs. The bark is rich in tannins that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, used as a medicine by diverse groups of Aboriginal peoples by heating it over a fire and then infusing in water for bathing aching joints. The bark of the Blackwood tree is used to create fishing lines and the leaves can be pounded to create a fish poison to stun fish, making them easy to collect.

Soure: Indigenous plant use; A booklet on the medicinal, nutritional and technological use of indigenous plants; By Zena Cumpston; Clean Air and Urban Landscapes (CAUL) Hub in Melbourne 2020