Is anybody successfully growing Acacia Dealbata?

Hello, I just wonder if anybody is successfully growing Acacia Dealbata in a pot in their garden, especially in the NW of England? Mine is already about 2.5m tall and it has never flowered. I can't see any buds this season either. I would be greatful for your recommendations.

 

Not one I have but I think as usual with borderline hardy, or even half hardy plants it depends on the one thing we can't control, the weather.

I tried one of these years ago and it didn't survive the first winter, but I have seen ones locally that are over 20 feet high.
Probably I should have tried again .
Finding a microclimate in your garden is often the secret to success with marginally hardy plants.

It would be much better planted out rather than kept in a pot.

 

Two problems with A. dealbata.....it flowers naturally in January, so the buds and flowers are at risk from frost even if it's growing well in a sheltered spot. The other problem is it's root system. The ideal place to grow one would be against a sunny house wall, but it's got horrifically invasive roots, so not ideal for the foundations/drains.

 

Thank you. I know that it is much better for most of the plants to be planted in the soil but unfortunately my garden is rather small and more than half is covered with tiles. So I have no alternative but to grow a lot of plants in big pots.

 

Which is why I have to slightly less attractive Acacia pravissima, it's much hardier.

 

Hi, I am growing it in a large pot and cover it with fleece for cold times.

 

Thank you, Pete. I also have a different Acacia (I don't remember its
exact name) which is hardy and it flowers about 2 months but it has no smell.

 

Nice acacia @Black Orchid ! A neighbour of mine grew A. dealbata in the ground in Nottinghamshire and it flowered wonderfully - but they cut it down because it was getting too big . I had one that I started from seed and it never flowered, even though it was in the border. I suspect there are some free flowering clones around in the trade - I've seen one labelled 'Gaulois'. I had the best flowering with A. costiniana from seed - it flowered at various times of the year.

 

Looks like pravissima @Black Orchid. Mine is in the ground, hit badly a few years ago but now is growing rapidly and flowers each year providing it is a mild winter, even down here they can suffer severe frosting.
As it is a fast growing tree it will soon become top heavy in a pot unless trimmed and if done at the wrong time, no flowers.
Acacia pravissima is the only hardy one that I know of. I have lost longifolia, baileyana and baileyana purpurea in the past.

 

A.Pravissima does have a scent when in flower, especially when the sun shines on it.
I'm looking at that picture @Black Orchid and I'm not convinced it pravissima, do you have a close up picture?

 

A. pataczekii is supposed to be very hardy - I lost it in the -10 to -15 we had some years ago. Costiniana seemed pretty good but it was in the soil, and in the middle of other plants sheltering it. It had perfume, but pataczekii was a fairly miserable flowerer.

 

What about boormanii @CarolineL

 

Hi Pete,
Just made several pictures of my Acacias. And I also added several spring pictures. .

 

Not pravissima, but I'd not like to guess which one it is.
Interesting, how cold does it get in winter in your area?

 

Thank you, Pete. I think you are right. It is Acacia Boormanii or Silver River Wattle.