Australian Blackwood

Australian Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) is the native shade tree for a property with room to give it. In an open garden it settles at around 12m tall and 6m wide, well short of the 30m it reaches in tall wet forest, and it gets there quickly. Dark green phyllodes hold all year, cream puffball flowers open through spring, and frost, wind, drought and poor soil barely register.

Why you'll love it

• Shade you will actually use. It is one of the faster native canopy trees, so a young plant throws usable shade within a few seasons rather than a decade.
• Tough across three climates. Frost hardy, wind tolerant, drought tolerant and content in poor soil, it suits cool temperate, warm temperate and subtropical gardens alike.
• Evergreen and bird friendly. The canopy never goes bare, and the cream spring flowers bring in nectar feeding birds and insects.
• A working paddock tree. Blackwood is one of the country's most valued cabinet timbers, and the same trees shelter stock and buildings while they grow.

Where it works best

Shade tree. Give it space. At 12m by 6m it wants at least 8m of clearance from a house, and more from paving, tanks and drains, because it suckers from surface roots.

Windbreak and boundary screening. On acreage, plant a staggered double row at 4m to 5m spacing. Filtered wind shelters a paddock far better than a solid wall of foliage, and along a boundary the canopies close into a continuous screen.

Growing Australian Blackwood in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for a straight, even crown. It comes from south eastern Australia and handles genuine frost, so cool temperate and tableland blocks suit it as readily as warm temperate and subtropical gardens.

Soil. Poor ground is fine and it fixes its own nitrogen, but standing water is not. On heavy clay, plant on a low mound and mulch 75mm deep, kept clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Deep soak weekly through the first two summers, then leave it to the weather. Skip general garden fertiliser: a low phosphorus native blend in spring is plenty, if you feed at all.

Pruning. Form prune over the first three years to a single leader, taking out competing stems while they are still small. Suckers rise from surface roots, so mow or cut them off as they appear.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in six sizes. The 140mm pack of 10, 200mm pack of 6 and 250mm pack of 3 suit a shelter belt, since young blackwoods establish fast and soon overtake bigger stock. The 300mm and 400mm pots suit a single specimen, and the 200L arrives semi advanced with real height.

Plants travel upright and often shed a few phyllodes in transit, which is normal. Expect a quiet month, then strong growth from the first warm spell. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read the acacia care guide for planting, feeding and pruning detail.
• Compare the range of Australian native trees.
• See other plants for windbreaks and shelter belts.
• Browse the best canopy trees for shade.

Common questions

How close to a house or pipes can I plant it?

Keep it at least 8m from a house, and further again from paving, drains and septic lines. It suckers from surface roots and thickens quickly at the base, so it is a boundary tree rather than a courtyard one.

How fast does it grow?

In a warm season with reasonable moisture it puts on a metre or more of height a year while young, slowing as it nears 12m. Growth is slower in cool temperate gardens and on very dry sites.

Will it survive frost?

Yes. It is frost hardy once established and grows naturally through cold inland districts and the southern tablelands. Young tubestock is worth protecting through its first winter in hard frost country.