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Water wattle

Acacia retinodes

Also called Silver Wattle, Swamp Wattle

Water wattle
Photo: Kurt Stüber [1], CC BY-SA 3.0

Acacia retinodes is an evergreen wattle shrub or small tree from southern Australia that blooms with yellow flower spikes through much of the year. It is grown in gardens in warm sheltered spots, and can be kept as a container houseplant in cooler climates with plenty of light.

Family
Fabaceae (Pea & bean family)
Grows as
Shrub
Light
Full sun
Water
Water well from spring to summer and reduce watering in autumn and winter.
Soil
Any well-drained potting mix or garden soil.
Temperature
18 to 30 °C; protect from frost, as it needs a frost-free sheltered spot in cooler regions.
How easy
Easy
Native range
SE. South Australia
Climate
subtropical

About

Acacia retinodes is an evergreen shrub that is native to South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. Short racemes of yellow flowers are produced periodically throughout the year. Some common names are retinodes water wattle, swamp wattle, wirilda, ever-blooming wattle and silver wattle.

Where it grows

In South Australia it is native to the Mount Lofty Ranges from around Mount Clare to Mount Bryan extending down the Fleurieu Peninsula to around Delamere and Normanville in the south and is regarded as a weed further to the southeast. It is commonly situated on low ranges and hills as a part of Eucalyptus woodland communities.

Uses

It is used for environmental management and for ornamental purposes. It produces good quantities of gum and its bark is good for tanning. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. In temperate regions it requires a frost-free sheltered spot with full sun. Indigenous Australians ate the gum, after softening it in water, to relieve chest pains.

Other Acacia plants

Jam wattle · Mulga · Acacia aneura var. major · Mulga · Earleaf acacia · Cootamundra wattle · Gidgee · Bower wattle · Cole's Wattle · Small Philippine acacia · Knife acacia · Silver Wattle

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Acacia retinodes by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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