Acacia - Wattle
Chiefly native to Australia, Acacias, also (incorrectly) known as Mimosas, are fast- growing trees or saplings, which require neutral or acid soil, that can be poor, but must be well-drained. Their elegant and delicate evergreen leaves, among the most ornamental found in nature, can be green or glaucous pinnate, or reduced to dark green phyllodes. Flowers are a mass of tiny golden yellow pompons, which brighten the winter and spring in mild climates. At peak of flowering, they are strongly honey-scented. Mimosas love the sun and their ideal habitat is Zone 10, the orange tree zone, but they also grow well in Zone 9, the olive zone, under certain conditions. They adapt to coastal climates, but only if sheltered from strong winds. When grown in large containers or tubs, with sufficient rich, acid soil, over-wintered indoors in the coldest months, mimosas flower abundantly and sometimes better than when planted out in the ground.