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Acacia podalyriifolia (Pearl Acacia) - A quick growing evergreen small tree or large shrub that grows to 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide with silvery-gray round phyllodes (as it leaf-like flattened petioles) and small, fluffy clusters of bright yellow flowers in winter to early spring.
Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil and avoid over irrigating in summer months unless soil drains very well. Cold hardy to 25 degrees F or a few degrees less if for short duration. Pearl Acacia can be trained into a rounded open-head tree for the patio or garden or can be pruned back hard after flowering to maintain in bush form and is relatively long lived if not overwatered.
This plant grows naturally in Australia from woodlands and forests from southeastern Queensland to northern New South Wales but has naturalized elsewhere, including along the coast of New South Wales and Victoria. 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 comes from the resemblance of the foliage to plants in the South African genus Podalyria. It is also called Queensland Silver Wattle.
This species was introduced into California by the Santa Barbara based Italian botanist Dr Francesco Franceschi (AKA Emanuele Orazio Fenzi) in 1908 and we have grown it at our nursery since 1980.
Information displayed on this page about Acacia podalyriifolia 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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