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Image Credit: Anna Povey – with permission
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Image Credit: Anna Povey – with permission
Scientific Name: Acacia myrtifolia
Common Name: redstem wattle
Family Classification (Clade): Eudicots
Family: Fabaceae
Form Description: Small dense shrub with reddish stems.
Height (m): 0.3 – 1
Flowers: Large creamy yellow balls with 2-4 balls per head.
Fruit: Seed pod – curved, 4-7cm long, hard leathery valves, dark brown.
Municipality
Plant Communities
Habitat Notes
Widespread and frequent in dry places; usually on dolerite sites.
Site Tolerance
Dry, Exposed, Rocky
Soil Tolerance
Clay, Loam, Nutrient-poor, Well-drained
Frost Tolerance
Hardy
General Notes
Bird attracting. Resistant to Phytophthora cinnamomi. Susceptible to browsing by hares and rabbits.
Propagation Calendar
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Flowering Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec -
Seed Collecting Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec -
Sowing Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec -
Cutting Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Propagation Method
Seed Information
Seed Collection
Most acacias are readily propagated by seed. Seed shed on maturity. Pick pods just as they start to dry and change colour. Spread on sheets. Sieve to isolate.
Seed Treatment Method
Hot Water Hot water is used to soften the hard seed case of some species. This replicates the weathering process. Pour hot (not boiling) water over the seeds and allow them to soak for 4-12 hours.
Seed Storage Life
Long
Germination Time
10-30 days
Cutting & Division Information
Cuttings are possible with “phyllode bearing” acacias, more so than with “feathery leaved” species.