Acacia pravissima detail (20/01/2012, London)
Position: Full Sun
Flowering period: Spring
Soil: Moist, well-drained
Eventual Height: 6m
Eventual Spread: 4m
Hardiness: 8a – 10b
Family: Fabaceae
Acacia pravissima is an evergreen shrub or small tree. Its grey/ green leaves are in fact phyllodes (flattened leaf stalks), triangular in shape with entire margins and up to 2cm long and grow along the length of the stems. The branches are pendant. The flower buds begin to form in mid winter. The yellow, spring flowers of the plant are profuse, lightly fragrant, spherical in shape with fluffy flower-heads that are 5mm across. The fruit is a black legume.
Acacia pravissima, commonly known as Ovens Wattle or Wedge leaved Wattle, is native to south eastern Australia. It was described in 1882 by Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller.
The etymological root of the binomial name Acacia is derived from the Greek akis ’pointed object’ in reference to the thorny nature of a number of plants within this genus. Pravissima is derived from the Latin pravus ’crooked’ or ‘misshapen’ pravissima being the superlative, and referees to the shape of the phyllodes.
Acacia pravissima (20/01/2012, London)
The landscape architect may find Acacia pravissima useful as a low growing (if pruned each year) flowering barrier plant, due to its spiny nature. This plant is drought tolerant once established. It will tolerate maritime conditions.
Ecologically, A. pravissima does not have any significant value in the UK.
The Royal Horticultural Society has given A. pravissima their prestigious Award of Garden Merit in 2002.
A. pravissima prefers moist, fertile, well-drained soils. It tolerates most pH of soil although it prefers neutral to acidic soils.
A. pravissima requires little maintenance. If maintained as a barrier it should be pruned hard each year in autumn.
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