Australian Willow, Willow Acacia

This native Australian acacia is a relatively tall tree with a weeping habit and graceful canopy of pendulous branches with long, thin and dark-green leaves. Occurring naturally in thickets and open areas, often along watercourses and floodplains, it develops into an upright, dense specimen with a clear trunk. Until now, this tree has rarely been seen in the Arriyadh region, but has the potential for more use. Blooming intermittently throughout the year, usually during the winter, the faintly fragrant, creamy-white flowers appear in pairs or clusters, followed by narrow seed. A. salicina is a vigorous, moderate to long-lived, nitrogen-fixing tree, adapted to clayey, alkaline soils, and tolerating poor drainage and seasonal waterlogging. It is moderate to highly salt-tolerant and hardy, but to severe frosts. Thriving in full sun, the tree is drought-tolerant, but the provision of deep water in the summer will encourage a deeper root system and good wind resistance. Propagation is by scarifying seed or boiling the seed in water. The flowers’ pollen has value in apiculture. Recommended for its foliage, A. salicina is an attractive tree for gardens or patios and as a street tree and in parks. It has potential for erosion control, although there is a tendency to sucker: this and the potential for its seeds to be dispersed by birds suggest that it could become invasive. Prune periodically to thin the canopy, to reveal the weeping character and to offer less wind resistance. The foliage is susceptible to insects and leaf diseases.