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One of the largest and most cold-hardy acacias in cultivation, this vigorous, medium-sized tree is valued for its toughness, attractive evergreen foliage, and fragrant spring flowers. Native to cool, moist locations in eastern Australia and Tasmania, it rapidly forms an upright tree whose brittle branches are furnished with finely textured, pinnate leaves,or with crescent-shaped, gray-green, leaf-like "phyllodes" (which are actually expanded leaf stems). Mature trees cast moderate to dense shade. In late winter or early spring, fuzzy spherical clusters of creamy-white flowers appear at the bases of the leaves or phyllodes. They give rise to pea-like seed pods that ripen to red-brown. The suckering roots of this tree can invade neighboring plants and damage sidewalks and foundations.
Give this acacia full sun and well-drained acidic to neutral soil. It is ideal for parks and other large areas that require a thrifty, drought resistant tree. It functions well as a windbreak in districts such as coastal and central California. Though it is quite drought resistant, this species struggles in hot low deserts. Water well early in life to encourage deep roots and maximum longevity (50 years or more). This plant self-sows prolifically in favorable environments such as South Africa, where it is listed as an invasive weed. (info source: Learn2Grow.com)
Genus - Acacia
Species - Melanoxylon
Common name - Blackwood Acacia
Pre-Treatment - Not-required
Hardiness zones - 8 - 11
Height - 25m
Spread - 12m
Plant type - Large Tree
Vegetation type - Evergreen
Exposure - Full Sun
Growth rate - Medium
Soil PH - Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil type - Loam, Sand
Water requirements - Low
Landscape uses - Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees, Street Trees
Germination rate - 80%
Bloom season - Spring
Leaf / Flower color - Green, Gray Green / Light Yellow
| Useful Info | |
| Germination | 1. Pour boiling water over seed, let stand in water for 24 hours, repeat process on seed that did not imbibe. It is called scarification. 2. Sow seed 1/4" (~3-5mm) deep, tamp the soil, mulch the seed bed. The seed germinates in 3 - 4 weeks at 25°c. As soon as the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots and grow them on in a sunny position in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts, and consider giving them some protection from the cold for their first winter outdoors. Cuttings of half-ripe wood with a heel, July/August in individual pots in a frame. Overwinter in a greenhouse for the first winter and plant out in their permanent positions in late spring or early summer. |
