I first saw it a couple of months ago when another Daver pointed it out to me growing outside a nursery in Berkeley, Ca. I thought it was so pretty, like lavender lace!
I was back at the nursery today and was admiring it again.
Acacia baileyana
I left and I went to another nursery and saw one in a 5 gallon pot about 12 feet tall. It was only $40 and my first thought was I should buy it for Zuzu, the Daver who first brought it to my attention. But then I remembered she is moving from California so I just walked on by.
Since I have been home, I can't get it out of my mind. It is so different. Do I really need a 20 feet tree. Maybe. LOL
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/62626/
Outside the nursery.
This message was edited Apr 26, 2007 10:58 PM
Make sure you get the 'Purpurea' cultivar. The species doesn't have the nice purple. I think I uploaded a pic to PF last year of one we have here. I really like it's purple lacey foliage too!
Well shoot, it just said Acacia baileyana. So the Purpurea is even darker?
I have talked myself into it which was so hard to do. LOL. It may not be that hardy here if we get a bad freeze again this next winter but oh well. My husband stayed home today so I haven't been able to go back but I think I will go tomorrow. If it is still there, it was meant to be and whom I to challenge that?
Yes, the new foliage is purple. The regular one is the grey-green. It sorta came through this winter here. I do see buds but no foliage yet.
Kell, that Acacia is widely planted in SF as a street tree. I know I used to plant them all the time. They grow fast and are wider than they are tall. Give it lots of room.
That's beautiful foliage. The seed pods are even pretty.
-Joe
Kell
Just say NO
did you see.....
grow fast and wide
you don't have wide
plus its just not gawdy enough...LOL
LOL. To play the devil's advocate ... if you need gawdy you take a nice bright orange bougainvillea , http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/83093/index.html , or bignonia , http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/58823/index.html , and let it vine up through the branches of this tree. The tree will look like it has burst into flames. :)
-Joe
totally off the subject
Joegee
thats the nick name I gave my sister
Her name was maryjo
I couldn't say it so I ended up calling her Jogie
She's 47 and still goes by Jogie.....LOL
Oh CC, when I read that Dale said it was wider than tall it ruined it for me. Dashed my dreams. I had visions of it shading my entire yard. LOL The one I saw in Berkeley was tall and narrow.
I just bought another Orange King, Joegee. My last one died over winter. It is a beautiful bougie. The crossvines are too invasive for me.
I have a Passiflora parritae that is just looking for a tree to climb up! It would be great too going up this tree.
Kell, all you need to do is trim it once a year right after it blooms and then a couple times in summer if it gets out of control. Once established it needs no extra water in N.CA, but, if it gets it, well, it will grow.
Pelargonium capitatum 'Pink', apparently there are other colors or perhaps the nursery thought I might mistake it for yellow.
