Acacia cultriformis
| Acacia cultriformis | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 8 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 13' |
| Blooms: | Late Winter-Late Spring |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
Acacia cultriformis (common name: knife-leaf wattle)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a sunny position in a warm greenhouse[1]. Stored seed should be scarified, pre-soaked for 12 hours in warm water and then sown in a warm greenhouse in March. The seed germinates in 3 - 4 weeks at 25°c[2]. As soon as the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots and grow them on in a sunny position in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts, and consider giving them some protection from the cold for their first winter outdoors.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood with a heel, July/August in individual pots in a frame[3]. Overwinter in a greenhouse for the first winter and plant out in their permanent positions in late spring or early summer. Fair percentage[3].
Cultivation: Prefers a well-drained sandy loam and a very sunny position[1]. Succeeds in dry soils and is drought tolerant. Succeeds in any good garden soil that is not excessively limey[4]. Most species become chlorotic on limey soils[5].
This species is probably very tender in Britain, but it has been grown outdoors in the mildest parts of Cornwall[4].
Closely related to A. pravissima[4].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[5].
Range: Australia - New South Wales and Queensland.
Habitat: Rocky ridges[6]. Dry sclerophyll forests and heath[7].
Edibility: Flowers - cooked[8]. Rich in pollen, they are often used in fritters.
Usage: A yellow dye is obtained from the flowers[9].
A green dye is obtained from the seed pods[9].
Plants are heavily armed with thorns and make a good screen or hedge in warm temperate areas[5].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Wind: Tolerates maritime wind exposure
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Rice, Graham. Growing from Seed Volume 1. Thompson and Morgan, 1987.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2. Pan Books, London, 1998.
- ↑ Carolin, R. Flora of the Sydney Region. Reed, 1993.
- ↑ Cribb, Alan and Joan Cribb. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana, 1976.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.