Acacia baileyana

Fabaceae

Cootamundra Wattle

Evergreen, small, fast-growing dense tree, 5-8m tall, with feathery silver-grey foliage and profuse golden-yellow ball flowers in late winter or early spring. Long-lived compared to most Acacia species.

Uses

Attractive small specimen tree( shrub ); often used in Australian native gardens, roadside plantings and rehabilitation sites. Attractive to birds and bees; fixes nitrogen in soil. Can be an environmental weed in areas outside its natural range.

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Culture

Hardy tree that prefers full sun and well-drained, moist to dry soil. Tolerates medium to heavy frosts when established but needs frost protection when young. Fertilise lightly with blood and bone when planting.

Propagation

Propagate from seed; immerse seed in just boiled water and leave for at least 12 hours. Fertile (swollen) seeds must be sown immediately. Plant seedlings into the landscape when they are at least 15 cm tall.

Cultivars

'Purpurea': a very attractive plant with purplish/blue coloured foliage height and spread slightly smaller than the species

A. b. prostrate form: growing to 50cm tall with a spread of 4m.

Plant Health

Major pests are borers and gall wasps.

More info

Book: ‘The Native Plant Expert’ by John Mason is available through http://www.acsgarden.com/shop/ Courses and videos on Australian Natives and Home Landscaping, and Plant Propagation available from Australian Correspondence Schools, see www.acs.edu.au/hort