Longleaf Acacia (Wattle) Acacia longifolia Sydney Golden Wattle, Sydney Wattle, Southern Light Wattle, New Harbour Wattle, Acacia Trinervis, Aroma Doble, Golden Wattle, Sallow Wattle, Sydney Golden Wattle Description: Also known as Sydney Golden Wattle, a beautiful acacia growing to 15 ft. with 6"" long, dark green, lance shaped leaves and bright yellow flowers in 3"" spikes. A fast growing, bushy plant that will not tolerate frost. Acacia Longifolia is a native of Australia and not yet particularly well known in the United States. A semi-tropical plant, it has been naturalized fairly extensively in California. Insofar as cultivating the plant in the United States is concerned, while information is available, it can be difficult at times to find. What we do know about it is that is a rapidly growing tree, reaching a maximum height in the neighborhood of 25 to 30 feet. In some locations where is grows, southern Europe for example, it is considered to be very invasive in its growth habits. Stems: Twig angled, glabrous or minutely hairy when young. Leaf: Simple, 5-15 centimeters, linear-lanceolate or obovate; 2-3 longitudinal veins more prominent than others. Inflorescence: Spike 2-4 centimeters, axillary, less than leaf. Flowers: Bright yellow. Fruit : 5-10 centimeters, more or less straight, more or less cylindric, narrowed between seeds, ending in a curved beak, brown. Seed: Stalk short, aril thick, cup-shaped."" USDA Zones: 5a-11. Light: Dappled shade, part or full sun. Locations: From semi-wet, but well drained sites to dry rocky sites. Care Level: For low maintenance, cold area gardens. Propagation: Propagation is usually carried out from seed. Soil Type: Moist well drained or dry soils. Wildlife Benefits: Attracts seed-eating birds. Physical Characteristics: An evergreen tree. . It is in leaf all year, in flower from February to May. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). It can fix Nitrogen. We rate it 2 out of 5 for usefulness. The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure Uses: Acacia longifolia is widely cultivated in subtropical regions of the world. Its uses include prevention of soil erosion, food (flowers, seeds and seed pods), yellow dye (from the flowers), green dye (pods) and wood. The flower color derives from the organic compound kaempferol. The tree's bark has limited use in tanning, primarily for sheepskin. It is useful for securing uninhabited sand in coastal areas, primarily where there are not too many hard frosts. Acacia Longifolia is widely cultivated in many areas however, particularly throughout much of Australia where, because of its substantial root system, it has proven useful in soil erosion prevention projects as well as stabilization of sand dunes. The violet-scented flowers, seeds, and seed pods are edible, with the yellow flowers often used in the production of yellow dyes and the seed pods forming a basis for production of green dyes. The tough acacia wood also has numerous uses. Each packet of seed contains 25 OR MORE seed of this species
