Acacia rubida A.Cunn.

Growth Habit and Size

Acacia rubida A.Cunn. is a shrub or tree with an erect to bushy growth habit, typically reaching 2 to 10 meters (6 ft 7 in to 32 ft 10 in) in height.

Bark and Phyllode Characteristics

It has lightly fissured brown bark, and leathery phyllodes that range in shape from narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate, and in color from reddish to grey-green. The phyllodes measure 5 to 20 cm (2.0 to 7.9 in) in length and 8 to 25 mm (0.31 to 0.98 in) in width.

Juvenile Foliage

Its juvenile foliage is pinnate, and may remain present on mature plants.

Flowering Period

Flowering occurs between July and November, producing inflorescences bearing pale to bright yellow flowers.

Inflorescence Structure

Simple inflorescences form in axillary racemes in groups of 5 to 29, with a raceme axis measuring 1 to 10 cm (0.39 to 3.94 in) long. The spherical flower heads are 5 to 7 mm (0.20 to 0.28 in) in diameter, and each contains 9 to 15 pale to bright yellow flowers.

Seed Pod Texture

After flowering, straight, flat, glabrous seed pods develop that are firmly papery to thinly leathery.

Seed Pod Dimensions and Coating

The seed pods are 4 to 12 cm (1.6 to 4.7 in) long, 6 to 9 mm (0.24 to 0.35 in) wide, and are often covered with a white powdery coating.

Distribution Range

This species is distributed in southwestern Queensland, western New South Wales, and Victoria, growing on the tablelands of the Great Dividing Range. Most of the population occurs between the Black Range in northeastern Victoria (the southern end of the range) and near Stanthorpe in southeastern Queensland (the northern end of the range).

Habitat and Substrate

It is commonly a member of open woodland or dry sclerophyll forest communities, growing on rocky hilltops and slopes in rocky soils, as well as in alluvial soils along rivers and creeks.

Commercial Availability

Acacia rubida is sold commercially as tubestock or seed.

Pioneer Species Traits

It is regarded as a good pioneer species: it is fast-growing, hardy, cold tolerant, and acts as a nitrogen-fixing plant.

Ecological Role

It can grow in nutrient-poor, shallow, skeletal, high-altitude soils, and plays a valuable role in catchment protection within its native range.

Cultivation Requirements

It prefers a sunny position, requires minimal maintenance, is drought tolerant, and can withstand temporary inundation.