Identify the unknown Tree?

Lilyrose · Hazel Tree Joined: 22 Mar 2009 Posts: 1 Location: Kildare

Hello, I agree it looks like Acaia baileyana' Purpurea.' I've just bought one for the corner of my garden. The person who helped me at the garden centre said that the roots don't spread that far and wouldn't be a problem - I'm going to plant it fairly near to two garden walls (it's still in the pot!).

This is what the label says (hope it's helpful)

Graceful spreading evergreen small tree producing spectacular purple shoots each spring. Attractive mature blue-green leaves covered in masses of bright yellow flowers in dense clusters from late winter and early Spring.

Height and Spread in 10 years 5m x 4m (15ft x 12ft)

Postition : A sheltered sunny wall in any fertile well-drained soil.

Plant Care - Half hardy requires shelter in all but the mildest gardens. After flowering cut back branches to maintain shape. Smile

tig · Hazel Tree Joined: 08 Mar 2009 Posts: 9 Location: Wicklow

Acacia baileyana never gets huge in this climate, as it almost always gets zapped and killed by the cold before this has a chance to happen. You must live in the mildest location. Here in Wicklow about two miles in from the coast (just inland from Mt Usher) they don't make it, even in a sheltered spot. Roots on these trees are not a problem..... Acacias often blow over because their roots cannot keep up with their upper bodies. Check out the following link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plant_finder/plant_pages/1559.shtml

walltoall

Lilyrose and Tig,

Welcome to the menagerie! It's lovely that a simple acacia can get two new punters and in MARCH. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Come in and warm up. 'Twould on'y skin a cat out there today.

For everyone reading this post, it's time to update PROFILES. Notice that one of the two posters has done so. A basic PROFILE can frequently be VERY useful when replying to queries. Without a PROFILE, one often is stabbing away in the dark and often giving totally irrelevant advice! I'd a conversation once with a (writer) from Dublin. I noted that [she] spelt some words the "American" way and discovered she was from Ohio.

It's easy to forget that www means world-wide web, literally.

I get regular private e-mails from someone I met on "gardenplansireland". She always has fascinating advice on topical gardening. I always read them. and enjoy them. But they are totally irrevelant to my current situation in ESSEX. She is in AUSTRALIA. Needless to say her profile is unfilled and I think she has no idea that Thurrock is not only on the other side of the world but also the other side of the gardening calander.

As for the acacia,

Nice to see it generating ongoing interest and interchange of opinions and ideas. We are all fascinated on homing in on the exact variety. Three cheers for GPI and Verge for maintaining the tilth of the site which is with the best gardening forums (fora?) anywhere. Now! Let yeez all go 'way and make or update you profiles so's we know where ye're coming from and Yes! Penny That includes Ontario under snow.

michael brenock · Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 8:39 pm Post subject:

i think the tree is a mimosa pseudocacia
michael brenock

Liparis · Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 9:05 am Post subject:

Do you mean Robinia pseudoacacia? The one I mentioned at the begining of the thread. I've never heard of Mimosa pseudoacacia and none of the World Checklists list it. Some refer you back to Robinia pseuduacacia, while most including Kew World Checklist say no records exist.
I discounted Robinia on the basis of foliage (it's far too fine) and flowers are the wrong colour and definately not of Robinia shape. I would be inclined towards Acacia baileyana, possibly the cultivar 'purpurea'.
Bill.

walltoall · Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 8:41 pm Post subject: An acacia by any other name

This is entirely experimental and is an attempt to upload a picture of Acacia baileyana purpurea and show that it has serrated leaves. Zimbo's tree has an entirely different leaf-pattern. Me? I'll wait for the flowers and seeds and I'm expecting (but not stating) the seeds to be in pods.

Sharon · Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 5:29 pm Post subject:

Is there a competition as to who knows the most botanical names - flowers look similar to a Kerri (cant remember the middle bit, pleniflora (probably wrong spelling) - can you include common names - I can only remember them now!

Liparis · Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 11:58 am Post subject:

Sharon · Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 6:04 pm Post subject:

Bill, thanks for that - would love to be able to remember all the Latin names and as you rightly point out they are the only way to correctly ascertain the species but common names (in brackets) where possible would be of great help to us gardening greenhorns!