Acacia stenophylla

Botanical Name

Acacia stenophylla A. Cunningham ex Bentham

Common Name(s)

  • shoestring acacia
  • river cooba

Legume Clades

Native Geographic Range

  • Australia

IUCN Status

Growth Form

tree

Cultivation Status in AZ

Commonly cultivated

Description

Evergreen, unarmed trees to 33 ft (10 m) high or exceptionally to 66 ft (20 m) high with an open canopy and drooping branches. The bark is dark gray or blackish and becomes rough and fissured. Phyllodes (leaves) are dull green, slender and drooping, and are 6—16 in (15—40 cm) long. Flowers are cream colored and are produced in rounded heads. Flowering is primarily from summer into early winter.

Habitat

Widely distributed across the eastern half of Australia in inland areas. The trees are often abundant along floodplains and in seasonal swamps with heavy soils. It can tolerate flooding for extended periods.

Uses

This wood of this species is considered a quality timber.

Horticulture

Despite a preference for wet areas in habitat, shoestring acacia is well-adapted to dry landscapes. It can be used as a background tree or planted against larger buildings. The open canopy produces light, filtered shade. Shoestring acacia is long-lived. It tolerates a wide range of soils including saline soils. Depending on origin, hardiness varies from 21°—16° F (-6°— -9° C). The trees produce some leaf litter and may produce root-suckers.