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Acacia genistifolia

spreading wattle

Fabaceae Southeastern Australia

Attracts Pollinators Drought Tolerant Container Friendly

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 8–10

Overview

Acacia genistifolia is an evergreen shrub growing 3-10 feet (1-3 m) tall and as wide, with a spreading to upright, often open habit and slender branches. In place of true leaves it bears rigid, narrow, needle-like phyllodes 0.4-1.4 inches (10-35 mm) long, grey-green and tipped with a sharp point. Pale yellow to cream globular flower heads about 0.3 inch (8 mm) across are borne singly or in pairs in the phyllode axils, opening over a long season from autumn through winter into spring. Narrow seed pods 1.5-3 inches (4-7.5 cm) long follow, becoming twisted as they dry. Growth is rapid, and plants flower from a young age. As a legume it fixes nitrogen and colonises disturbed and sandy ground. The sharp phyllodes make the shrub prickly to handle. Plants are short-lived, often persisting 7-12 years, and become open and sparse with age.

Native Range

Native to southeastern Australia, across Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory. Grows in dry sclerophyll forest, woodland, and heath on sandy, gravelly, and well-drained soils, often on poor or disturbed ground.

Suggested Uses

Grown in native gardens, screens, and revegetation on dry, sandy sites, spaced 4-6 feet (1.2-1.8 m) apart. The prickly habit creates shelter and nesting sites for small birds. The sharp phyllodes and short lifespan limit its use near paths or as a long-term feature.

How to Identify

Identified by rigid, needle-like grey-green phyllodes with sharp points and pale yellow to cream globular flower heads borne singly or in pairs along the stems through the cooler months. The prickly phyllodes and long autumn-to-spring flowering separate it from Acacia ulicifolia, which has shorter phyllodes and flowers mainly in spring.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height3' - 10'

Width/Spread3' - 10'

Reaches mature size in approximately 3 years

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~12 weeks

Fall Winter Spring

Flowers over a long season from autumn through winter into spring, roughly March to October, with scattered earlier or later blooms. The pale flower heads open in succession over several months. This extended flowering supplies pollen during the cooler part of the year.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

pale yellow to cream

Foliage Description

grey-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 5-10 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 Range5.0 - 7.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

sand rocky loam

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

2-3 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in full sun to part shade in well-drained sandy or gravelly soils of low fertility and tolerates drought once established. As a nitrogen-fixing legume it needs no added fertiliser and resents high-phosphorus feeds. Young plants grow quickly and flower within two to three years. Root rot develops in wet, heavy soils. Borers and galls can affect older stems. Plants are short-lived and are usually raised from seed treated with heat or smoke to break dormancy.

Pruning

Light tip pruning after flowering keeps the habit dense and delays the open, woody decline of older plants. Hard pruning into bare wood is slow to reshoot. Spent flowering branches can be cut back to encourage branching.

Pruning Schedule

spring