| Identity card of the plant | |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Acacia dealbata |
| Common name | Winter mimosa, silver mimosa, florists' mimosa |
| Family | Fabaceae |
| Origin | Australia |
| Size | 4 to 8 m high, almost as wide |
| Foliage | The foliage is evergreen, silvery bluish green and velvety. It is characterized by compound leaves, divided into 10-25 pairs of leaflets. The leaflets are also very finely divided into leaflets. This arrangement gives it a pretty fern look. |
| Flowering | Flowering is fragrant and melliferous and occurs from January to April. It consists of small yellow glomeruli gathered in clusters. Each glomerulus bears many flowers with 5 petals and numerous stamens. |
| Fruit | Flowering gives way to flat, brown pods, containing black seeds. |
| Exhibition | Sun. |
| Ground | Drained, cool or dry, acidic or neutral. |
| Rusticity | -6 °C. |
Very robust against drought once installed, Acacia dealbata is also one of the most cold-resistant mimosas. It is superb in isolated as in hedges and massifs, and can also be grown in a large pot to bloom a terrace.
Where to plant an Acacia dealbata?
Install Acacia dealbata in a sunny location and sheltered from strong winds. It tolerates most drained soils, and grafted subjects tolerate limestone well. This shrub thrives in open ground in regions with mild winters, such as southern France or the Atlantic coast. Elsewhere, prefer a pot culture.
Acacia dealbata can become invasive around the Mediterranean. To avoid this inconvenience, favor a transplanted subject, whose roots do not sucker. Keep ungrafted subjects away from walls and pavements: their roots can do damage.
Acacia dealbata can become invasive around the Mediterranean. Copyright (c) 2018 Marina VN/Shutterstock. No use without permission.
How to plant an Acacia dealbata?
Acacia dealbata is planted in spring, as soon as severe frosts are no longer to be feared. In the south of the France, it can be installed in autumn:
- Dig a hole about 2-3 times the size of the root ball
- In heavy soil, place gravel in the planting hole and mix sand with soil
- Install the shrub
- Place a tutor
- Fill the hole without burying the graft point
- Settle, water moderately
For potted planting, choose a container that is pierced and deep enough. Place clay balls or gravel first, then use a mixture of garden soil, potting soil and heather soil.
How to maintain an Acacia dealbata?
Does mimosa like water?
Winter mimosa is afraid of water excesses and stagnations. In open ground, water regularly in the summer following its planting. Secondly, it only needs water in case of persistent drought. Water a potted subject regularly but without excess, so that the root ball does not dry out completely.
When to prune an Acacia dealbata?
Although it is not mandatory, you can prune your Acacia dealbata after flowering. Shorten the branches that have bloomed, and remove those that have suffered from the cold. Take advantage of this moment to eliminate suckers.
It is possible to prune your winter mimosa after flowering. Copyright (c) 2022 nnattalli/Shutterstock. No use without permission.
Should I fertilize an Acacia dealbata?
It is not necessary to fertilize a winter mimosa. In poor soil, however, it is possible to offer him a little organic fertilizer. Repot a potted subject every two years to renew the substrate.
Rainy season
In areas subject to frost, winter your potted Acacia dealbata in a bright, cool but frost-free room. In open ground, provide him with a good mulch and a wintering veil, especially if temperatures are approaching 0 ° C.
Some varieties of Acacia dealbata
- Acacia dealbata 'Gaulois Astier': flowering more generous than the type species.
- Acacia dealbata 'Mirandole': flowering from December.
- Acacia dealbata 'Mireille': more compact port than the type species.