Acacia Study Group

Welcome to the Acacia Study Group

The Acacia Study Group is one of a number of Study Groups within the Australian Native Plants Society (Australia). Our aim is to further knowledge about the cultivation, propagation and conservation of members of the genus Acacia. The Acacia Study Group has been in operation since 1961 and has been in continuous operation since 1971. Members of the Group are mainly keen amateurs with no formal horticultural or botanical knowledge, although a number of professionals in those fields also participate. As in all study groups, the members’ work is mainly carried out in their own homes and gardens and in their own spare time.

The group maintains an extensive seed bank and seed is available free to members.

Since the inception of the group well over 100 newsletters have been issued documenting the reports from members into cultivation issues in various climatic zones, propagation methods and natural occurrences of different species. Past issues of the newsletters can be downloaded from this site (see the link below).

If you are interested in the cultivation, propagation, conservation and appreciation of Australia’s native flora, especially acacias, why not consider joining and helping to promote these beautiful plants more widely.

{Photo: Acacia leprosa ‘Scarlet Blaze’)
Study group image

Join

Membership of the Acacia Study Group is available to members of an ANPSA-affiliated Regional Society. If you are not a member of a Regional Society, please contact the Society located in your State or Territory for further information.

For more information or to join please send a request using the following form (please note that all fields are mandatory* – you may edit the ‘Message’ field if necessary).

Acacia Study Group Form

Signup form for the Acacia Study Group that sends a notification to the Study Group leader.

Newsletters

Regular newsletters are published several times per year to record activities and experiences of Group members in cultivating acacias, keeping up to date on scientific knowledge of the genus and reporting on field trips to various parts of Australia.

Almost all of the newsletters that have been published by the Group since its formation in 1961 are provided here as an archive, although the six missing issues in the First Series are believed to have been lost.

(Note: Newsletters are in pdf format and will require a PDF Reader to view them. Free readers include Foxit Reader and Adobe Acrobat Reader).

****Click here to access the Acacia Study Group Newsletters*****


Acacia Plant Profiles

Profiles of a number of Acacia species have been incorporated into the Acacia section of the website, which can be found under ‘Plant Guides > Common Plant Genera and Families’ . Each profile includes a photograph and information on natural distribution, taxonomy, cultivation and propagation.

Click here to view the Acacia profiles

The Acacia section of the website also covers the characteristics, cultivation and propagation of acacias generally, and include references to other relevant resources.

Click here to view the Acacia section


Acacia Resources

These are a few internet and other resources on Acacia that might prove useful, including links to:

  • WATTLE ver 2.2 – an interactive, web-based plant identification system.
  • World Wide Wattle – authoritative information relating to species of Acacia worldwide.
  • Wattle Web – a guide to acacias of New South Wales.

Books:

  • Armitage, I (1977), Acacias of New South Wales, Society for Growing Australian Plants, NSW Region.
  • Elliot, W. R and Jones D (1982), The Encyclopaedia of Australian Plants, Vol.2, Lothian Publishing Company Pty Ltd, Melbourne.
  • Hitchcock, M (1991), Wattle, Australian Government Publishing Service.
  • Pedley, L (1987), Acacias in Queensland.
  • Rogers, F, Field Guide to the Wattles of Victoria.
  • Simmons, M (1981), Acacias of Australia, Vol.1, Thomas Nelson Australia.
  • Simmons, M (1987), Growing Acacias, Kangaroo Press.
  • Simmons, M (1988), Acacias of Australia, Vol.2, Penguin Books Australia.
  • Tame, T (1992), Acacias of South-east Australia, Kangaroo Press.
  • Wibley, D (1980), Acacias of South Australia, South Australian Government Printer.

Journals:

Several issues of the Society’s journal “Australian Plants” are particularly useful for those interested in Acacia.

  • Vol 10, No.82 March 1980; Microwave treatment of Acacia seed.
  • Vol 11, No.91 June 1982; Wattles of the Grampians.
  • Vol 14, No.114 March 1988; Outline of characteristics of Acacia.
  • Vol 17, No.134 March 1993; Top End wattles for gardens.
  • Vol 18, No.147 June 1986; Vegetative propagation of wattles.
  • Vol 21, No.169 December 2001; Acacia leprosa ‘Scarlet

Internet: