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Acacia baileyana

Cootamundra wattle

Fabaceae Southern New South Wales, Australia

Attracts Pollinators Drought Tolerant Fragrant (light)

SunFull Sun

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 8–10

Overview

Acacia baileyana is a fast-growing evergreen tree reaching 16-26 feet (5-8 m) tall and nearly as wide, with a spreading, often low-branched crown and arching outer branches. Unlike many wattles it keeps true bipinnate leaves rather than flattened phyllodes; the foliage is feathery, blue-grey to silver, with leaves 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) long divided into many small leaflets. From late winter into early spring it carries dense sprays of round, golden-yellow flower heads, each about 0.2 inch (5 mm) across, in clusters along the branches. Flat seed pods 1.5-4 inches (4-10 cm) long follow, ripening brown and releasing hard seeds that remain viable in soil for many years. The tree grows quickly but is short-lived, often declining after 15-20 years. It tolerates dry conditions and poor soils but is damaged by heavy frost when young. Self-sown seedlings appear freely around planted trees. A purple-leaved form is in cultivation.

Native Range

Acacia baileyana is native to a small area of southern New South Wales around Cootamundra and Temora. It has been widely planted elsewhere in Australia and overseas and has naturalised well beyond its natural range, where it is regarded as an environmental weed that hybridises with local wattles. It grows naturally in dry sclerophyll woodland on well-drained granite soils.

Suggested Uses

Acacia baileyana is planted as a small shade and screen tree and for quick cover on dry, poor soils, spaced 13-20 feet (4-6 m) apart. It flowers in winter when little else is in bloom. Its heavy self-seeding and weed status outside its native range limit its use near bushland, where local wattles are grown in its place.

How to Identify

Recognised by feathery blue-grey to silver bipinnate foliage and dense sprays of round golden flower heads in late winter. The leaves keep their divided, fern-like form rather than reducing to phyllodes. Distinguished from Acacia dealbata by its smaller size, fewer leaflet pairs, more silvery foliage, and earlier winter flowering.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height16' - 26'

Width/Spread13' - 23'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~4 weeks

Winter

Golden flower heads appear from late winter into early spring (July to September), with the heaviest display in August in temperate regions. The bloom lasts about 3-5 weeks. Flowering is followed by green pods that ripen brown over summer.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

blue-grey

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

Requires 6-10 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

sand loam rocky

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

3-5 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Acacia baileyana grows in full sun in well-drained soils of low fertility and tolerates dry conditions once established. As a legume it fixes nitrogen and needs no added fertiliser, and phosphorus-rich feeds can harm it. Young trees are damaged by hard frost, while established trees withstand light frost and extended drought. It grows quickly, often flowering within 2-3 years, but is short-lived and prone to borers and to limb drop in old age. Seed sets heavily and germinates after fire or soil disturbance, producing many seedlings around the parent. Plants are renewed from seed as older trees decline.

Pruning

Light shaping after flowering keeps the crown dense and removes spent flower sprays before seed sets, which reduces self-seeding. The tree tolerates trimming of young wood but does not recover well from cuts into thick old branches. Removing seed pods before they ripen limits the spread of seedlings.