Acacia baileyana Purpurea (Cootamundra Wattle)

Fast-growing, Acacia baileyana ‘Purpurea’ (Cootamundra Wattle) is a large, graceful, evergreen shrub or small tree adorned with a wide-spreading canopy and weeping branches clothed in feathery, finely cut leaves. Emerging lavender to purple, the leaves turn blue-gray as they mature.

Fast-growing, Acacia baileyana 'Purpurea' (Cootamundra Wattle) is a large, graceful, evergreen shrub or small tree adorned with a wide-spreading canopy and weeping branches clothed in feathery, finely cut leaves. Emerging lavender to purple, the leaves turn blue-gray as they mature. The foliage remains appealing all year round. In late winter to early spring, clouds of sweetly fragrant, bright golden-yellow, small, rounded flowers held in axillary racemes cover the branches and create a striking floral display. Relatively short-lived (30 years), Cootamundra Wattle (named after the small town of Cootamundra in New South Wales, Australia) makes a dramatic statement in the garden. A great plant for slopes and banks.

  • Recipient of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society.
  • Grows up to 20-30 ft. tall and wide (6-9 m).
  • Performs best in full sun in neutral to acid, moist, well-drained soils. Water sparingly in winter, keeping barely moist.
  • A charming addition to Mediterranean gardens, wall-side borders.
  • Prune immediately after flowering.
  • Generally trouble-free, but keep an eye out for glasshouse red spider mite under glass.
  • Find where Acacia baileyana species is invasive in the United States.

Requirements

Hardiness 10
– 11

Heat Zones 10
– 11

Climate Zones 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Plant Type Shrubs, Trees
Plant Family Acacia
Exposure Full Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Early,Mid,Late)Summer (Early,Mid,Late)FallWinter
Height 20'
– 30'
(6m
– 9m)
Spread 20'
– 30'
(6m
– 9m)
Water Needs Average
Maintenance Low
Soil Type Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained
Characteristics Fragrant, Plant of Merit, Showy, Evergreen
Tolerance Deer
Garden Uses Banks and Slopes, Wall-Side Borders
Garden Styles Mediterranean Garden