General Description:

Acacia is a genus of around 1300 species, about 950 of which occur in Australia. Until recently the genus was more broadly described with about 1400 species spread over five sub-genera. This is discussed further in our dedicated Acacia page.

Acacias occur in all Australian states from coastal zones to mountains to the dry inland. Collectively, acacias are known as “wattles” and one of them, Acacia pycnantha, is the national floral emblem. The green and gold colours of the foliage and flowers has provided Australia’s official colours.

Acacia dawsonii is an erect shrub 1.5-2 metres in height. Like most members of the genus, the mature plant does not have true leaves but has leaf-like flattened stems called phyllodes. In A.dawsonii the phyllodes are narrowly elliptic to linear in shape from 50-120 mm long by about 5 mm wide. They are slightly curved and greyish-green in colour. The golden yellow flower clusters are globular in shape and occur on short racemes from the leaf axils in spring.

A.dawsonii is not widely cultivated but would be suited to smaller gardens because of its moderate size. It is attractive in flower and can be lightly pruned following flowering to produce a busy growth habit. It is a hardy plant suitable for a wide range of climates and soils, provided they are reasonably well drained, although it is probably at its best in less humid areas. It prefers full sun and is tolerant of at least moderate frost.

Propagation is relatively easy by normal seed raising methods following pretreatment by soaking in boiling water or by scarification. Propagation from cuttings has also been successful.