Acacia melanoxylon
(Blackwood)
Family - Fabaceae
Category - Tree
Origin - Southern Australia
Year of Introduction - 1808
Season of Interest - Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter
Hardiness - H3
Height - 5m or more
Width - 4m or more
Location - The Spring Garden, The Walled Garden
Description: An Evergreen tree with a narrow, conical outline and spreading branches. When the tree is young, it produces feathery, mid to grey-green, bipinnate leaves with oblong to lanceolate leaflets. As the tree matures it produces larger, lanceolate leaves with a leathery texture (often alongside the bipinnate leaves), and eventually these will be the only leaves produced. Tiny, pale primrose yellow flowers with many prominent stamens are held in globose flowerheads. The flowerheads are held in Racemes and produced along the branches from late winter into mid-spring.
Flower:
Tiny, pale primrose yellow flowers have many, long stamens and are held in small, globose flowerheads. The flowerheads are held in racemes that are produced along the branches from as early as February through to April.
Flower colour: Pale yellow
Flower shape: Small flowers in globose flowerheads
Flowering time: February, March, April
Foliage:
This plant exhibits dimorphism. On juvenile plants, the leaves are mostly bipinnate with feathery, mid-green to grey-green leaflets that are oblong to lanceolate in shape. As the tree matures the leaves become leathery, flat and lanceolate in shape (these leaves are often sparsely produced alongside the juvenile foliage) and the bipinnate leaves are no longer produced. The leaves are Alternately arranged on spreading branches.
Foliage Senescence: Evergreen
Foliage Shape: Bipinnate with oblong to lanceolate leaflets, lanceolate
Propagation:
Cuttings, seed.
Cultivation:
Best in a sheltered position in full sun and moisture-retentive soil that is well-drained.