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Acacia baileyana (Fernleaf Acacia) - A fast-growing small evergreen tree that grows to 20-30 foot tall by usually a bit wider with silvery blue-gray, feathery leaves on weeping branches. Bright golden yellow, small, rounded flowers bloom late winter through early spring.
Plant in full sun to filtered shade where once established it is frost tolerant and moderately drought tolerant. Hardy to 15-20 degrees F. As with many in the genus, it is relatively short lived for a tree but for 30 years or so makes a dramatic statement in the garden as a trained-up street or patio tree or left with lower branches as a large shrub or low branched tree. A great plant for slopes.
Matt Ritter in his A Californian's Guide to the Trees Among Us in his listing for Acacia baileyana notes that "This species is popular as a shapely, midsized street tree in cooler coastal cities". It has been identified as invasive in other mediterranean climate regions of the world and documented to have reseeded in areas within California, so is best not used near the urban–rural interface or close to sensitive wildland habitats.
Acacia baileyana has a very restricted natural distribution confined to the vicinity of Cootamundra in southern New South Wales, Australia where it is commonly called the Cootamundra Wattle. The name Acacia comes either from the Greek word 'akazo' meaning "to sharpen" or from the Egyptian word 'akakia', a name given to the Egyptian Thorn, Acacia arabica. The specific epithet honors the Frederick Manson Bailey (1827-1915), Australian botanist and son of colonial botanist John Bailey (1800-1864). The species, Acacia baileyana was first introduced into California in 1903 by Dr. Francesco Franceschi (Emanuele Orazio Fenzi). The purple leafed cultivar Acacia baileyana 'Purpurea' cultivar that we grow came into cultivation in California around 1935, both it and the species received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit in 1993.
Information displayed on this page about Acacia baileyana is based on our research conducted about this plant in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about it as it has grown in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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