Other Names:  Cootamundra Wattle, Bailey's Acacia, Golden Mimosa

Description:

A large, graceful shrub or small tree with a wide spreading canopy; feathery, lavender-purple new foliage matures to blue-gray; fragrant pea-like, golden-yellow flowers appear in late winter to spring; drought tolerant once established

Ornamental Features

Purple Fernleaf Acacia features showy racemes of fragrant yellow ball-shaped flowers along the branches from late winter to early spring. It has attractive powder blue foliage with hints of silver which emerges purple in spring. The tiny narrow bipinnately compound leaves are highly ornamental and remain powder blue throughout the winter. The fruits are showy brown pods displayed from mid summer to mid fall.

Landscape Attributes

Purple Fernleaf Acacia is a multi-stemmed evergreen tree with a shapely form and gracefully arching branches. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance tree, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting birds, bees and butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Self-Seeding

Purple Fernleaf Acacia is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Purple Fernleaf Acacia will grow to be about 25 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 25 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.

This tree does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.