Acacia MEARNSII

Acacia MEARNSII - Black wattle, Mearns' acacia, Black Wattle.

Can be grown in bonsai style!

Acacia is an extensive genus of flowering plants in the Fabaceae family, comprising over one thousand species, the vast majority of which grow in Australia, with individual species also found on adjacent Pacific islands and in Southeast Asia.

The growth form of representatives of the genus is varied - from low shrubs to large trees. In young plants, leaves are usually bipinnate, whereas in many adult Australian species they are later replaced by phyllodes - flattened enlarged petioles that perform the function of a leaf.

The flowers are small, gathered in spherical or cylindrical inflorescences of yellow or cream shades, often with a strong aroma. The fruit is a dry pod, in most species dehiscent upon ripening, and the seeds are often equipped with a bright aril.

Black wattle is a species endemic to southeastern Australia and Tasmania, where it grows along forest edges and in the understory of subtropical forests. It is a fast-growing evergreen tree, reaching 10, occasionally up to 20 meters (33, rarely up to 66 feet) in height in nature, with smooth bark that in old specimens can become longitudinally fissured at the base of the trunk. The leaves are bipinnate, dark green, and remain so throughout the plant's entire life without transitioning into phyllodes.

Flowering under natural conditions occurs in October-December in the Southern Hemisphere - globose heads of 20-40 pale yellow fragrant flowers. After flowering, blackish-brown pods 3-15 cm (1.2-5.9 in) long are formed. In indoor culture and when trained as a bonsai, the plant remains compact, usually 1-1.5 meters (3.3-4.9 feet).

Black wattle seeds are small, with a hard impermeable seed coat that greatly slows germination if undamaged, yet allows seeds to retain viability in the soil for decades. Scarification works most reliably: the coat is carefully nicked or filed with a hard tool so as not to damage the seed itself; for small seeds, brief scalding with hot (~80 °C / 176 °F) water is also suitable.

After scarification, the seeds are soaked in a 1% potassium permanganate solution for 1-2 hours, and then for 12-24 hours in warm water with the addition of a growth stimulant: SUPERthrive, HB-101, Aminozol, Epin, or Zircon. The seeds are then sown into a light breathable substrate to a depth equal to the size of the seed, moistened from a spray bottle, placed in a mini-greenhouse or covered with film, and germinated in the light, but not in direct sun, at a temperature of 20-25 °C (68-77 °F).