Acacia baileyana ‘Purpurea’

Purple Leaf Cootamundra Wattle (Acacia baileyana 'Purpurea') is grown for its foliage first and its flowers second. It makes a graceful weeping small tree of about 5m tall and 4m wide, and every flush of new growth emerges deep plum purple before ageing to the silver blue of the older ferny leaves. Golden ball flowers cover it in late winter, when most gardens have nothing to show.

Why you'll love it

• Purple new growth, year round interest. Each flush comes through plum toned against silver blue foliage, so it holds colour long after the flowers finish.
• Winter gold when nothing else flowers. Dense yellow globes smother the branches in late winter, feeding bees at a lean time.
• Fast to fill a gap. It reaches useful size within three to four years, the quickest way to soften a bare boundary.
• Frost hardy and drought tolerant. Genuinely tough in cool temperate, Mediterranean and arid gardens, and comfortable on poor soil and in wind.

Where it works best

Informal screening. Plant 3m apart. At that spacing the canopies knit into a soft, feathery barrier within about four years while each tree keeps its weeping shape.

Windbreaks. Wind tolerant and quick, so it works as a nurse planting on an exposed block.

Small gardens and feature planting. At 5m it suits a courtyard corner or a front garden where a larger tree would dominate. The purple flush shows best against a plain wall.

Growing Purple Leaf Cootamundra Wattle in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun is essential, because shade turns the purple flush green and opens the habit out. It is frost hardy and at home in warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and arid gardens. In humid subtropical and tropical areas it is short lived and prone to fungal problems.

Soil. Well drained soil of almost any type, including poor and gravelly ground. It resents wet feet above all, so on heavy clay plant on a raised mound and avoid irrigated lawn.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then leave it alone. It is drought tolerant once established, and overwatering shortens its life. Feed only with a low phosphorus native fertiliser, and only if growth is poor.

Pruning. Prune immediately after flowering, taking no more than a third of the growth. Wattles do not reliably reshoot from bare old wood, so never cut back into leafless stems. Light annual trimming keeps it dense and reduces seed set.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in three sizes: 200mm in packs of six, 250mm in packs of three, and a single 400mm pot. The 200mm and 250mm packs are the economical way to plant a screen, arriving as young single stemmed plants that catch up fast. The 400mm gives you a branched plant with a season of height on it.

Plants travel upright and are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Expect visible new growth within four to six weeks in the growing season and first flowering by the second or third winter. Be aware this is a naturally short lived tree, typically fifteen to twenty years. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to plan and plant an Australian native garden
• Browse native trees for Australian gardens
• Trees and shrubs sized for small gardens
• Fast growing plants for windbreaks

Common questions

How long does it live?

Typically fifteen to twenty years, which is normal for this wattle rather than a fault. Plant it where a short lived tree is acceptable, or use it to shelter slower trees while they establish.

Will the purple foliage hold in shade?

No. The plum colouring on new growth depends on direct sun. In part shade the flush comes through green and the habit becomes sparse, so give it an open, sunny position.

Does it seed into the garden?

It sets seed readily and seedlings do appear, particularly on disturbed ground. Trimming after flowering reduces the seed load, and near bushland it is worth pulling seedlings while they are small.