Acacia decora

Acacia decora

Family: Fabaceae subfamily Mimosoideae
Distribution: West of the Dividing Range in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria from Cooktown in the north to the Warby Range in Victoria. Found on sandy and stony soils usually in eucalypt woodlands.
Common Name: Showy wattle, western silver wattle.
Conservation Status: Not considered to be at risk in the wild.
Derivation of Name: Acacia; from Greek acis, a thorn.
decora; from Latin decorus, graceful in appearance.

General Description:

Acacia decora is a small to large shrub, often under 2 metres in height but sometimes to 5 metres. The phyllodes are lance-shaped, blue-green in colour, with a prominent mid-vein and minor branching veins. The flowers are borne in large upright clusters both at the ends of the branches (terminal) and in the phyllode axils, making this one of the most showy of all wattles.

This is a hardy species which is tolerant of a wide range of conditions. It prefers well drained soils in light shade to full sun. A.decora is a worthwhile addition to gardens in many areas of Australia.

Propagation is relatively easy by normal seed raising methods following pretreatment by soaking in boiling water or by scarification.