Acacia parramattensis
Parramatta green wattle
New South Wales, Australia (Sydney basin)
Overview
Acacia parramattensis is a fast-growing evergreen tree or tall shrub 16-50 feet (5-15 m) tall with a spreading, open crown. Unlike the many wattles that bear flattened phyllodes, it keeps feathery bipinnate leaves through life, each leaf 1.6-4 inches (4-10 cm) long and divided into many small dark green segments. Raised glands occur along the leaf stalk. Pale yellow to cream globular flower heads about 0.2 inch (4-6 mm) wide are carried in branched sprays through summer and into autumn. Flat seed pods 2-5 inches (5-13 cm) long follow, ripening brown. It is native to the Sydney region of New South Wales, where it grows in open forest and woodland and is among the first trees to colonise cleared or burnt ground. The tree is short-lived, often declining after 10-20 years, and can sucker and self-seed freely on disturbed sites. It tolerates clay and seasonal wetness but is sensitive to hard frost when young.
Native Range
Acacia parramattensis is native to the Sydney basin and adjacent tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. It grows in open eucalypt forest and woodland on clay and shale-derived soils, often on disturbed or previously cleared ground.Suggested Uses
Used as a fast screening or shade tree, in revegetation and bush regeneration, and on cleared or eroded ground where quick cover is wanted. Its nitrogen-fixing roots and rapid growth suit it to nurse plantings among slower-growing trees.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height16' - 50'
Width/Spread10' - 20'
Bloom Information
Flowering occurs in summer and early autumn, mainly December to February in its native range. The small pale yellow flower heads open in branched clusters over several weeks. Seed pods form afterward and ripen the following spring.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
pale yellow to creamFoliage Description
dark greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
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