Text derived from the Acacia sections of the 4th edition of
Australian Native Plants by
John Wrigley and
Murray Fagg,
published in 1996 by Reed Books Pty Ltd.
The location of these plants in the Australian National Botanic
Gardens is based on a new electronic mapping system (MapInfo)
currently being assessed.
Only a few sections in the centre of the Gardens have been mapped using this system
and the locations for the species below are based on those sections mapped so far. Where the location in the Gardens is designated as None, it means that the plants are not present in the few sections already mapped - they may exist elswhere in other sections.
Australian National Botanic Gardens - Growing Acacia
Description: Straggling shrub to 2 m high and 1.5 m diameter. Phyllodes are variable, usually less than 2 cm long; narrow to orbicular. Flowers like golden balls appear in spring.
Distribution: SA, Vic., NSW.
Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment.
Cultivation: Generally adaptable in cultivation, responds to sunny, reasonably well drained positions in most soils. Will respond to light pruning after flowering.
Description: Shapely, large shrub to 6 m with 2 m spread. Long narrow phyllodes to 15 cm tend to droop. Very floriferous, golden ball flowers in late winter and early spring.
Distribution: Qld., NSW.
Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment.
Cultivation: Generally adaptable in cultivation, responds to sunny, reasonably well drained positions in most soils. An outstanding species which may be used as a feature plant in a sunny situation.
Description: Most unusual shrub to 2 m high by 1 m across. Phyllodes are almost reduced to cladodes, giving the appearance of winged stems. Each phyllode is extended into a spine. Two flower forms are noted, one cream, the other golden yellow. Extended flowering period.
Distribution: WA.
Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment.
Cultivation: Some shade and good drainage is appreciated. The golden flowered form is preferred.
Description: Small tree or large shrub to 7 m high by 7 macross, often multi-stemmed. Phyllodes are narrow to broad linear, greyish, to 7 cm. Flowers are rod-like, yellow, and occur in spring or other times, depending on rain. The timber of this species is used extensively for the mulga-wood ornaments sold as Australiana souvenirs throughout the country.
Distribution: arid areas of Qld, NSW, SA, WA and NT.
Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment.
Cultivation: A hardy plant for drier areas. It has attractive foliage. Full sun and good drainage essential.
Description: Small tree or large shrub to 10 m high by 6 m across. Leaves are grey, bipinnate and leaflets are linear. Profuse, gold, ball-shaped flowers occur in late winter. Pods are bluish when young. Two other foliage forms are in cultivation. One has purplish leaves and has been known as Acacia baileyana var. purpurea, the other has yellowish tips.
Distribution: NSW, but naturalized in other areas.
Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment, or cuttings of fancy foliage types.
Cultivation: A very hardy plant in a sunny situation. Suited to most soils. Flowers sporadically in Brisbane but profusely in southern areas. Good fast-growing screen plant. Purple foliage form is useful foliage contrast.
Description: Shrub or small tree to 6 m high. Glaucous, obovate phyllodes with blunt end to 20 cm long. Lemon-yellow ball flowers in sprays to 8 cm, May to July.
Distribution: Qld.
Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment.
Description: Generally erect, open shrub about 2 m high by 1.5 m across with thick, falcate phyllodes about 12 cm long. Globular, golden flower heads are very large, about 2 cm diameter, and fragrant. They appear in winter.
Distribution: SA, NSW.
Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment.
Cultivation: Generally adaptable in cultivation, responds to sunny, reasonably well drained positions in most soils. Excellent off-season flowerer.
Location in ANBG: Sections 1, 123a ANBG map plus the Rainforest Gully.
Description: Medium-sized, dense tree to 16 m high with phyllodes to 12 cm, usually two-veined. Bears cream ball-shaped flowers in spring.
Distribution: Qld. and NSW.
Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment.
Cultivation: A hardy plant in most well watered situations. Needs full sun or part shade. Dense shade tree. Used as a fast-growing shelter tree in contrived rainforest at the Australian National Botanic Gardens. Flowers are insignificant.
Description: Open, erect shrub to 3 m, spreading to 2 m, with elliptical phyllodes to 3 cm. Masses of small golden ball-shaped flowers appear in spring.
Distribution: Qld., NSW, ACT, Vic.
Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment.
Cultivation: Generally adaptable in cultivation, responds to sunny, reasonably well drained positions in most soils. A hardy, desirable species.
Description: Normally rounded shrub to 3 m, but one population in Victoria reaches 10 m. Phyllodes are narrow, to 8 cm, with bent, pointed tip. Bright yellow fragrant ball flowers appear in spring.
Distribution: SA, Vic., NSW.
Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment.
Cultivation: Generally adaptable in cultivation, responds to sunny, reasonably well drained positions in most soils.
Description: Rounded shrub to 3 m, sometimes taller. Stems flattened and slightly reddish. Phyllodes elliptical to 10 cm, light green. Flowers are in deep yellow balls from spring to autumn.
Distribution: NSW, Qld.
Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment.
Cultivation: Prefers sandy soil in full sun or part shade. Has been observed to flower after rain. Useful low screen.
Description: A small tree which may reach 10 m high, but generally smaller. The phyllodes are obliquely obovate with the lower margin more or less straight. They are up to 16 cm long. The rod shaped flowers are bright yellow and borne in pairs in the upper leaf axils. They are seen from late winter to early spring.
Distribution: southeast Queensland to northern New South Wales.
Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment.
Cultivation: A hardy and fast-growing tree for coastal districts. May be used as a screen or shelter for younger plants. Most soils are satisfactory and full sun is recommended.
Description: Rounded shrub to 2 m with linear phyllodes to 1.5 cm, variable in denseness of growth. Globular flowers on slender peduncles held beyond phyllodes appear in spring.
Distribution: NSW, Qld.
Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment.
Cultivation: Generally adaptable in cultivation, responds to sunny positions in most soils. Very desirable plant. Good, dense clones should be preferred. Needs good drainage.
Description: Stiff, much-branched, rounded shrub to 1 m high by 70 cm across. Phyllodes rigid, often hooked, to 3 cm long. Bears large yellow ball-shaped flowers in winter and early spring.
Distribution: NSW, SA.
Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment.
Cultivation: Dry, warm position preferred. Occasionally tends to become woody at base but regular light pruning may overcome this. Good early flowerer. Frost tolerance not fully tested.
Description: Dense, rounded shrub to 2.5 m high by 1.5 m. Phyllodes are broadly elliptical, grey and about 2 cm long. Flowers in short, golden spikes appear in spring and various times through the year. Flat, rounded pods are also a feature.
Distribution: WA.
Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment.
Cultivation: Suitable as a low screen plant, not for a formal hedge. Needs well-drained soil. Very hardy in drought but also grows well and flowers well in Coffs Harbour.
Description: Variable tree from multi-stemmed shrub-like specimens of 8 m to tall trees of 30 m high with greyish-green bipinnate leaves. Bears cream ball-shaped flowers in spring.
Distribution: NSW, ACT, Vic. and Tas. Also introduced in South Australia.
Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment.
Cultivation: A hardy but unspectacular tree. Most soils and aspects are suitable.
Description: Erect, medium-sized tree to 15 m high with a green trunk and dark green bipinnate leaves. Very fine leaflets. Bears golden ball-shaped flowers in spring.
Distribution: Qld. and NSW (naturalized in Vic., Tas. and ACT).
Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment.
Cultivation: A hardy tree in most situations. Very fast-growing but short lived as a result of borer attack.
Description: An erect, sparsely branched shrub to 2 m high by 3 m across. The thickly textured, broadly elliptical phyllodes are up to 7 cm long, toothed and with a rasp-like surface. The golden rod-shaped flowers are up to 7 cm long and seen in spring.
Distribution: WA (rare)
Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment.
Cultivation: Difficult to maintain in the eastern states. Dry situation is suggested.
Description: Tall, bushy shrub 5 m high by 3 m. Thick, more or less elliptical phyllodes have an accentuated curve on one side. Golden rod-shaped flowers are borne in terminal sprays from April to June.
Distribution: WA, NT, Qld.
Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment.
Cultivation: Excellent garden or screen plant. Showy in flower and interesting foliage. Full sun and good drainage recommended.
Description: Large, rounded shrub to 6 m or occasionally an erect, small tree. Long, narrow phyllodes to 15 cm. Bears yellow rod-shaped flowers in spring
Distribution: NSW, ACT, Vic.
Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment.
Cultivation: Needs a well-drained, dry position. Good screen plant in its rounded shrub form.
Description: Shrub or small tree to 7 m high. Large, falcate, glaucous phyllodes to 30 cm long by 20 cm wide. Probably the largest phyllodes of all wattles. Golden ball flowers, 2 cm diameter most of the year.
Distribution: WA, NT.
Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment.
Cultivation: Spectacular foliage plant. Very cold sensitive. Minimum temperature should be more than 10Pty Ltd
C. Good drainage and a sunny position recommended.
Description: Spreading, rigid, much-branched shrub to 1 m high by 1.5 m across. Grey-green phyllodes, narrow-elliptical to 8 mm. Branchlets are spiny and new growth reddish. Bears yellow ball-shaped flowers in winter and spring.
Distribution: SA, WA.
Propagation: From scarified seed or cuttings, the latter being very successful.
Cultivation: This species appears to have potential as tall ground cover. Needs full sun and good drainage. Frost tolerance not yet tested.
Description: Erect shrub to 2 m, sometimes more in cultivation, with long, terete phyllodes to 20 cm on angular stems. Bears yellow ball-shaped flowers in spring.
Distribution: WA.
Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment.
Cultivation: Generally adaptable in cultivation, responds to sunny, reasonably well drained positions in most soils. Interesting foliage and stem markings.
Description: Erect, tree-like shrub to 4 m with slender trunk and falcate phyllodes to 15 cm. Bears cream coloured ball-flowers in early winter.
Distribution: NSW, Qld.
Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment.
Cultivation: Generally adaptable in cultivation, responds to sunny, reasonably well drained positions in most soils. Very hardy. Often seen on cleared land around Sydney. Frequently used to revegetate road batters.
Special horticultural attributes:
Suitable for areas of low maintenence (eg. road batters).
Description: Straggly, many-branched shrub to 3 m high. Spiny stems with bipinnate leaves to 5 cm long. Golden ball-flowers are strongly perfumed.
Distribution: Tropics of the world.
Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment.
Cultivation: This plant was first recorded in Australia in inland Queensland in 1845 but there is some doubt as to whether it is native. It is thought to be originally from South America. The species is widely grown in southern France for the perfume industry. Hardy in dry conditions and of value as an animal-proof screen if planted at 1 m centres.
Description: Small tree or rounded shrub to 7 m high by 6 m across. Phyllodes are narrow-lanceolate, to 4 cm and usually with hairs near the base. Profuse yellow, ball-shaped flowers occur in spring.
Distribution: Qld., NSW.
Propagation: From seed.
Cultivation: Hardy in most situations. Adequate water is required. Good, dense, screen plant.
Description: Small, erect shrub to 1 m or slightly more. Phyllodes narrow, about 2 cm long, sometimes glaucous. Bears small yellow ball flowers in late winter.
Distribution: Qld., NSW, Vic.
Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment.
Cultivation: Glaucous leafed form is most desirable. Well drained, dry position is most suitable.
Description: Tall, bushy shrub or small tree to 6 m. Phyllodes linear to narrow elliptical to 10 cm long. Bears cream flowers in rods to 4 cm long in early spring.
Distribution: NSW, Qld., Vic.
Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment.
Cultivation: Generally adaptable in cultivation, responds to sunny, reasonably well drained positions in most soils. Good, fast-growing screen plant, particularly for coast where adequate moisture is available. A dwarf form which only reaches about 1 m high is available commercially. It forms a dense rounded shrub.
Description: Spreading shrub to 2 m by 2 m with rigid, needle-like phyllodes, dark green and varying in length from 2-5 cm. Bears large, ball-shaped, cream-coloured flowers in winter and early spring.
Distribution: NSW, ACT, Vic., Tas.
Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment.
Cultivation: Generally adaptable in cultivation, responds to sunny, reasonably well drained positions in most soils. Very hardy species which flowers in the off-season.
Special horticultural attributes:
Suitable for areas of low maintenence (eg. road batters).
Description: Spreading shrub 1 m high with a spread of 3 m and more. Small, bright green phyllodes give neat appearance all year. Flowers are bright yellow balls which appear in spring.
Distribution: Vic.
Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment.
Cultivation: Will grow in a sunny position in most soils. Performs well on coast and tablelands.
Description: Unusual, straggling shrub to 1 m high and 1 m across. Wing-like phyllodes appear like cladodes with yellow globular flowers emerging from central stems in spring.
Distribution: WA.
Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment.
Cultivation: Foliage is unique. Good drainage is essential. In cultivation, dead wood often mars the appearance. judicious pruning may overcome this problem.
Acacias at the ANBG 
and the locations for the species below are based on those sections mapped so far. Where the location in the Gardens is designated as None, it means that the plants are not present in the few sections already mapped - they may exist elswhere in other sections.