Acacia podalyriifolia (Mount Morgan wattle, "Mukugeakashia")

Japanese name: ムクゲアカシア
Scientific name: Acacia podalyriifolia

[Overview]
An evergreen shrub or small tree 2–5 m tall.
Young branches are almost circular in cross section, covered with white hairs and glaucous.
The leaves are alternate, and are elliptic to ovate phyllodes (flattened leaf stalks that function as leaves) 2–5 cm long and 1–2.5 cm wide, silvery gray when young and silvery blue as they age.
The phyllodes have a distinct midrib and are hairy on both sides; the leaf tip has a spine-like projection, and the margin is entire and often wavy.
Very young seedlings bear bipinnate compound leaves.
At the branch tips, globose flower heads gather further into racemes, bearing many golden-yellow flowers.
The flowers are fragrant.
The fruit is a flat pod; young fruits are glaucous and hairy, blue-green to silvery gray.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed.
To promote germination, soak freshly collected seeds in 80°C hot water for 30 minutes, leave them in the water for half a day to 2 days, and then sow.
The optimum germination temperature is 18–22°C, and germination begins about 1–3 weeks after sowing.
It prefers a sunny, well-drained site.
In warm regions south of the Kanto region, it can overwinter in open ground.
It will not flower unless it receives enough sun.
Strong wind can break branches and trunks, so avoid windy sites.
It tolerates light frost.
Established plants need no watering unless the soil becomes extremely dry.
In summer, water in the morning or evening when the temperature is low.
Pruning hard after flowering can prolong the life of the tree.
Mature trees are difficult to transplant, but if it is unavoidable, root pruning should be done the previous year.
Pests and diseases include scale insects and aphids.

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