Looking for a versatile plant for your landscape? Look no further than Acacia cyanophylla, also known as Blue-leaved Wattle, Coojong, Golden Wreath Wattle, Orange Wattle, Port Jackson Willow, or Western Australian Golden Wattle. This small tree or shrub is native to Western Australia and is extremely vigorous when young, often growing over a metre per year.
One of the best woody species for binding moving sand, Acacia cyanophylla is commonly used for reclaiming eroded hillsides and wastelands, as well as for stabilizing drift sands and for fuel. It is also a natural colonizer, often growing alongside new roads where soil has been disturbed. Its seeds are distributed by ants, which store them in their nests, allowing them to germinate when soil is disturbed again.
The plant makes a great screen or hedge in warm temperate areas, thanks to its heavily armed thorns. It also has yellow flowers that appear in early spring and late winter, and make for a beautiful addition to any landscape. In fact, a yellow dye can be obtained from the flowers, while a green dye is obtained from the seedpods.
Acacia cyanophylla is also useful for windbreaks, amenity plantings, beautification projects, and roadside stabilization in semiarid regions. The bark contains 21.5% tannin, making it a valuable resource for tanning leather.
In short, Acacia cyanophylla is a versatile and vigorous plant that can be used in a variety of landscaping and environmental projects. Whether you're looking to stabilize drift sands, create a screen or hedge, or add some beautiful yellow flowers to your landscape, this plant is sure to fit the bill.
