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Acacia covenyi (Blue Bush) - A fast growing evergreen (evergray) shrub or small tree to 20 feet tall with smooth dark gray stems and silver-blue 1 to 2 inch long elliptic leaves (phyllodes). In spring appear the 1/2-inch-wide globular bright yellow flower heads that are held in upright racemes about the length of the phyllodes.
Plant in full sun in a relatively well-drained soil, though tolerant of clay so long as it drains and does not remain waterlogged. Requires little to no irrigation once established and tolerates hard frosts and temperatures below 15° F. This plant makes a beautiful small tree or large shrub and can be lightly pinched or sheared to make a dense hedge. It is not considered to be a terribly long lived plant, so don't expect more than 15 years from it and occasionally stems are crested (also known as fasciation), and these stems are best pruned out.
Acacia covenyi grows naturally in southeastern New South Wales, Australia, where it is relatively rare. The specific epithet honors Robert 'Bob' G. Coveny, a botanical collector at Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney. 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. Our sales manager Peggy Koegler and husband John first noticed the beauty of this plant while in Australia and then we were given our first plant by Jo O'Connell of Australian Native Plant Nursery and this plant has become a beautiful specimen in front of our Accounting office and we have sold it at the nursery since 2003.
Information displayed on this page about Acacia covenyi 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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