Help with acacia cultivation needed!!

[Help with acacia cultivation needed!!]

You should probably let me hang onto those seedlings while you get your wasp infestation under control..

 

Nah, I can’t imagine that it would do any harm. Slugs, on the other hand, ate some of my seedlings pretty quickly before I spotted them. 

[Help with acacia cultivation needed!!]

Late winter update:

 

Most of the Acacia floribundas appear to be regrowing from the base now. 

...after USDA zone 7 winter

 

Seeds from New Zealand and Tasmanian provenance performed similarly. 

 

 

[Help with acacia cultivation needed!!]

An observation, which led me to a question...

 

So, winter here basically turned various Acacias brown...but at least on the floribundas, the base remains green and the roots alive.  I expect they might regrow from the base come spring. 

 

If such a plant were to grow year after year as a deciduous perennial, then the only mass to accumulate would be underground. Is it known whether there are generally alkaloids down there, if they are already known to be in upper parts?

 

 

[Help with acacia cultivation needed!!]

USDA Zone 7 winter Acacia update:

Several nights down to -6C; one night dipped down to -10C. Every daytime rose above freezing.

 

All the courtii and floribunda appear either brown or pale/washed out. Small seed acuminata and burkittii remain the most green. 

 

First two photos are courtii. 

Next two photos are floribunda.

Final two photos are acuminata. 

[Help with acacia cultivation needed!!]

Mid-winter Update: 

Have seen several nights dip down to -3C. Courtii plants are not looking healthy, progressively turning from green to brown.  Small seed Acuminata seems hit or miss, with 3 plants green and healthy, while 1 is drying up. A tiny Burkittii is green.  All the floribundas look good, but showing a lot of red pigmentation.  

(Photos are courtii, floribunda, acuminata) 

 

Big cold test coming up soon, with a few nights dipping to -7C. 

[Help with acacia cultivation needed!!]

First frost of the season last night, low of -1.5C, below freezing for only a few hours.

 

Only observed frost damage on one plant, that being a courtii. (first image, blackened curling tips on newest phyllodes)

 

Five other courtii appear unharmed. Through late autumn's cool temperatures, all have developed red "splotches" on phyllodes.  (second image)

 

And just a few notes to summarize my first Acacia seed growing season:

(in order from failures to successes)

mucronata vars. mucronata & longfolia growing extremely slowly, still in seedling stage after 2 months. 

burkittii low germination, very slow growing (only perhaps half a dozen phyllodes after several months; some plants inexplicably turned brown and died. 

acuminata slow growing (especially narrow phyllode), very susceptible to being eaten by animals (furthermore did not resprout after being bitten off, just died)

floribunda growing well, regrows after animal browsing, explosive growth from fertilized plants. 

courtii grew quite well- good germination rate, fast growth (averaged 1 meter tall at 10 months), less preferred by nibbling animals (and generally regrew when bitten off)

['Useful' Acacia plants]

Don't necessarily rule out starting from seed. I've got some 3 month old floribunda, coincidentally from Tas sourced seed, that's growing quite quickly. 

[Desmanthus Leptolobus on the balcony]

Every seed or mature transplant that I've placed into the ground has done very poorly. Minimal growth, no flowering/seeds, eventually just dies.  I've tried several different soil types too.  Honestly don't know why, since it is a weed. 

 

On the other hand, grown in containers, in potting mix with the addition of fertilizer, this is where I get vigorous growth.  

 

I'm still kinda hung up on the shortness of the growth portion each season. I've read that culinary herbs, like basil, should have the flowers pinched off in order to keep the plant in the vegetative growth state.  With D. leptolobus though, there can be so many tiny flowers, and hidden too. Maybe just clipping or mowing regularly would achieve a similar effect. Might try that next summer. 

 

[Desmanthus Leptolobus on the balcony]

First a question:  Is there a way to keep Desmanthus in a vegetative growth state longer?

 

IME, from seed, they grow a couple months, flower & seed profusely, then quickly defoliate for the season. But it's only mid-summer at that point!

[Acacia floribunda seeds]

(Haven't heard from anyone yet, so if you happen upon this post in the following months, please feel free to get in touch -  I'll likely still be looking.)

 

...Or if anyone could link me to relevant seed suppliers?  I'm going on the assumption that seed from plants growing in the coldest parts of their range will be more likely to do well when grown in temperate America.

 

Northern Tablelands, Alps, etc?

 

I've sourced floribunda seed from NZ's South Island and Tas. 

 

 

[Acacia floribunda seeds]

I'm testing Acacia floribundas collected from a variety of localities for general hardiness in my SE USA area. 

 

If you have even a small amount of seed to share, I'd be grateful. 

 

Interested in obtusifolia and any other potentially cold tolerant Acacias too. 

[Help with acacia cultivation needed!!]

17 hours ago, smithy said:

 

...  mt buffolo would be the better option for the colder climates and a it's a outstanding tree.

That's what I hear. If anyone could direct me towards getting seeds, I'd be grateful. 

 

...So far, what I'm hearing from you guys is this: from most cold tolerant (top) to least cold tolerant (bottom). 

1. phlebophylla

2.floribunda

3. acuminata

4.maidenii

5. courtii

 

I welcome more discussion and experiences.  Or if you can add to/rearrange that list. 

[Help with acacia cultivation needed!!]

I have a question on cold hardiness..

 

I'm growing a few Acacia species for the first year in the Southeast US. The most similar climate in Australia seems to be perhaps around the ACT and Canberra, with very frequent overnight freezing temps in winter. 

 

I read that they have mature acuminatas and floribundas growing at the botanical gardens there. And previously had burkittii, but not anymore.

 

Any experience growing Acacias through winters that chilly?  Especially curious about courtii, since it seems to be the quickest grower of the bunch I've got going. 

 

Thanks.