About

Acacia myrtifolia, known colloquially as myrtle wattle, red stem wattle, red-stemmed wattle or South Australian silver wattle, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, and is endemic to coastal or near-coastal areas of Australia. It is a glabrous, bushy shrub with its new shoots often red and angled, prominently ribbed, normally red branchlets, erect, commonly narrowly elliptic to lance-shaped or linear phyllodes, spherical heads of creamy yellow flowers and erect, linear, crusty to subwoody pods.

How to grow it

Acacia myrtifolia is one of the earliest native Australian plants to be cultivated in Europe. The species has also been cultivated in Australia but it is not widely used in gardens as many other Acacia species have more colourful flowers. It prefers well drained soils, full sun and will tolerate moderate frosts. If it is lightly pruned after flowering it will produce a busy growth habit.

If grown from seed, pre-treatment by soaking in boiling water or by scarification is required. Propagation from cuttings can also work.

Where it grows

Myrtle wattle is widespread and common in temperate southern Australia and occurs in all states of Australia, but not in the Northern Territory. It grows in sand, sand over laterite or on granite in forest, woodland, scrub or heath, often in coastal or near-coastal areas. In Western Australia it is found in the is found in the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie, Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest, Mallee, Swan Coastal Plain and Warren bioregions. It is also found in coastal areas of South Australia east of the Eyre Peninsula extending to coastal areas of Victoria, New South Wales and north into Queensland as far as Gladstone. It is also found in coastal areas of Tasmania.

Other Acacia plants

Acacia abbatiana · Acacia abbreviata · Acacia abrupta · Acacia acanthaster · Harrow Wattle · Acacia acellerata · Gold-dust acacia · Acacia aciphylla · Acacia acoma · Acacia acradenia · Strap Leaved Wattle · Acacia acuaria