As Spring keeps coming, so do the flowers on all the Acacias. Some of them come out bit by bit, others are in full flush for a short time. Several of the Acacias I’ve planted have not yet begun to flower this year, others have flowered for the first time.
The first two images are of the two Acacia acinaceas (“Gold Dust Wattle”), both planted in the ‘Windmill Patch’, but each one doesn’t look the same as the other one, especially in form/habit. No 1 was planted first and grew very slowly, while No 2 grew fast and flowered fast. No 1 below flowers in stages, while No2 flushes all at once and is so heavy with blossom, that the stems seem to collapse.
The next image is of the 2nd Acacia aspera (“Rough Wattle) planted, this one in the open at the top of the ‘Front ex-Weed Patch’. It seems quite happy there, and has never been given extra water. There’s another smaller unidentified wattle in front of it, with a plastic protective sheath still around it – and the shadow of the ipad i used to take the shot can be seen lurking next to that. The first A. aspera planted lives under a large gum in the ‘Lower Cotoneaster Patch’, and has similarly never been given extra water.
Next is Acacia denticulosa, or “Sandpaper Wattle” – yes, the leaves are very rough and feel like sandpaper, but what I like about this plant is the orange colour and texture of the new leaves and the lovely long acid-yellow coloured spikes. This particular plant grew very well for a couple of years, and then, after I pruned it, some of the stems died back. It’s naturally very leggy in habit and so difficult to photograph in a way that really shows how glorious it is. The first one I planted did not survive – that patch – The ‘driveway triangle’ – was hot and dry that summer, so it was probably not getting enough water for that first year. The second one, whose images appear below, was planted at the top of the ‘ex-weed patch’ (October 2017), and it seeems as if that area has better soil and water. The first image was taken in September 2022, and the next two were taken in September 2019.
In these next two photos, taken in September 2019, the first image shows the flowers more clearly, and the second shows a close up of the new leaf growth:
The next image shows one of the two Acacia imbricata planted, this one in April 2019 from tubestock brought over from SA’s State Flora. This one is planted in the ‘mid south paddock’, between two boulders on the slope there. The south paddock is alternately dry and hard in Summer, and wet and squelchy in Winter and Spring, and indeed, in Spring 2022, the mossy boulders which can be seen in the next image have water flowing over them.
One of my favourite wattles, and not for the flowers, is Acacia howittii. I like them because they grow quite well in wet and dry and hot and cold, and respond well to pruning, so they make a good hedge or screening plant. Of course, if it’s pruned, you won’t get any flowers, but that’s OK, as the flowers, while nicely perfumed, are pretty small. In the next image, one of the three planted in the ‘lower south paddock’ where it is the driest place on the whole property, has started flowering for the first time. Another one planted with this one (March 2019) did not survive, and the other two are smaller and not as robust.
As I post this (late September), the Acacias in these images which were taken earlier in September, have come into full flower. I’ll put up another post later with more of the same. I’ve already taken the photos, but yet to upload them. When I do, I’ll put a link to it here… for my files..
