Acacia pendula A.Cunn. ex G.Don

Species Nomenclature and Growth Form

Acacia pendula A.Cunn. ex G.Don is a tree that typically grows 5 to 13 meters (16 to 43 feet) tall and 4 to 6 meters (13 to 20 feet) wide, with an erect, pendulous to spreading growth habit.

Bark Characteristics

The trunk and limbs have hard, fissured grey bark.

Branch and Branchlet Morphology

It bears pendulous branches with angled or flattened branchlets; these branchlets are covered in short fine hairs when young, and become glabrous as they mature.

Phyllode Basic Dimensions and Shape

Its grey-green narrow phyllodes measure about 4 to 14 cm (1.6 to 5.5 in) long and 3 to 10 mm (0.12 to 0.39 in) wide, with a narrowly elliptic to very narrowly elliptic shape, and are sometimes narrowly oblong-elliptic.

Phyllode Structural Features

Phyllodes can be straight or curved, marked with many indistinct longitudinal veins, have a subacute apex with a mucro, and one gland located near the base.

Flowering Period and Flower Color

This species flowers between November and May, spanning summer and autumn, and produces yellow flowers.

Inflorescence Arrangement

Its inflorescences most often grow in groups of two to five on an axillary axis.

Flower Head Characteristics

The spherical flower heads are 3 to 7 mm (0.12 to 0.28 in) in diameter, and each holds 10 to 20 bright yellow flowers.

Seed Pod Appearance and Texture

After flowering, it forms papery to leathery green seed pods that are flat, straight to strongly curved, and turn brown as they age.

Seed Pod Dimensions and Structure

The pods are irregularly constricted between individual seeds, and measure 3 to 9 cm (1.2 to 3.5 in) long and 10 to 20 mm (0.39 to 0.79 in) wide.

Seed Collection Period

Seeds of this species are most often collected between October and January.

General Distribution Range

This tree occurs naturally in dry outback areas of Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria.

New South Wales Distribution

In New South Wales, it has a disjunct but widespread distribution across inland areas, usually found west of the upper Hunter Valley.

Floodplain Habitat and Soil Preference

It often grows on major river floodplains as a component of woodlands, and sometimes occurs as the dominant woodland species, growing well in heavy clay soils.

Range Relative to Great Dividing Range

Across all three Australian states where it grows, it occurs west of the Great Dividing Range.

Soil and Rainfall Requirements

It grows in alluvial soils made up of sand, gravel, silt, and clay, in regions that receive 400 to 600 mm (16 to 24 in) of annual rainfall.

Historical Livestock Grazing Record

In the historical work The Useful Native Plants of Australia, it was recorded that livestock are very fond of the leaves of this tree, especially during drought seasons.

Grazing-Related Population Decline

Because of this preference, and because livestock eat down young seedlings, the species has been almost exterminated in parts of the former Australian colonies.

Commercial Availability

This tree is available commercially as seedlings or seed.

Drought Tolerance Trait

It has many desirable traits for low-rainfall regions, as it is drought tolerant.

Additional Tolerance Traits

It is also frost tolerant, and can grow successfully in heavy clay soils.

Ecological and Practical Uses

It is useful as a shelter tree or windbreak, and attracts native birds—particularly parrots, which eat its seeds.

Root Nitrogen Fixation

Rhizobium nodules in its roots help fix nitrogen into the soil.

Ornamental Cultivation

Its blue-grey foliage and weeping growth habit make it popular for cultivation both within Australia and overseas, including in Iran and Kuwait.