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Acacia craspedocarpa (Leather-leaf Acacia) – A dense, rounded evergreen shrub to 8 feet tall by 5 feet wide with leathery 1 inch long broadly elliptical gray leaves (phyllodes) that are finely netted in green. The stems and new growth have coppery tones and the bark is somewhat fissured. The flowers in short, golden spikes (rods) appear in spring and at various other times through the year, and are followed by attractive flat, rounded bright-green seed pods.
Plant in full sun where it is very drought tolerant once established but also tolerates regular irrigation in well-drained soils. Cold hardy to 15° F.
Some sources in the desert southwest list it as a tree to 15-20 feet but it is so slow growing here along the coast that this is hard to imagine. It is an interesting small tree or shrub for a low screen.
The name Acacia comes either from the Greek word 'akazo' meaning "to sharpen" or from the Egyptian word 'akakia', a name given to the Egyptian Thorn, Acacia arabica and this specific epithet is from the Latin words 'crassus' meaning "solid" or "thick" with 'crasped translating to "broad" and carpus meaning fruit, so "thick fruited".
This information about Acacia craspedocarpa displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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