Acacia binervia Sterling Silver

Acacia binervia 'Sterling Silver' (Acacia binervia 'Sterling Silver') is the silver wattle to plant when green is not the answer. It grows to about 5m tall and 4m wide, a third the size of the wild coastal myall it came from, and holds narrow grey-silver foliage from top to bottom. Cream and yellow flower spikes follow, and the plant is fast, native and almost indifferent to poor soil, salt and wind.

Why you'll love it

• Silver foliage every day of the year. The grey-silver phyllodes read as colour in their own right, lifting a boundary of dark green shrubs or a plain rendered wall.
• A screen that gets there quickly. Fast growing to about 5m, so a boundary planted at 2.5m spacing starts doing real work in its second and third seasons.
• It copes with hard ground. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, salt tolerant, wind tolerant and content in poor soil, which covers most difficult sites.
• Native and bird attracting. An eastern Australian species whose flowers bring in insects, and whose open canopy gives small birds somewhere to shelter.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy. Plant 2.5m apart in a single row. It is an informal screen rather than a clipped hedge, so allow for the 4m width instead of fighting it.

Windbreaks and coastal gardens. A staggered double row at 2.5m filters wind rather than blocking it, and the salt tolerance means an exposed coastal boundary will not burn.

Feature and small shade tree. Grown as a single specimen with the lower branches lifted, it makes a light, airy shade tree over a seat or a corner of lawn.

Growing Acacia binervia 'Sterling Silver' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the strongest silver; in shade the foliage greens off and the plant opens up. It suits warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and subtropical gardens, and it is frost hardy, so cold southern districts are fine.

Soil. Almost any soil, including sand, gravel and thin clay, provided water moves through it. Do not enrich the planting hole, and keep high phosphorus fertilisers away, as native wattles resent them.

Water and feed. Deep soak weekly through the first two summers, then leave it to the weather in all but long droughts. A light dose of low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring is plenty.

Pruning. Tip prune from the day you plant it to build density low down, then shorten the long growth lightly after flowering. Avoid cutting back into bare old wood, because wattles reshoot poorly from it.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes in three sizes: 200mm pots in packs of six, 250mm pots in packs of three, and single 45L plants. The packs are the value option for a long boundary, arriving as young single stemmed plants that establish quickly. A 45L plant is already branched and carries real height on day one, which suits a feature or a gap in an existing row.

Plants are packed to travel upright and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Our full acacia care guide
• Screening plants that reach 4m to 8m
• Browse Australian native trees
• Plants that make a good windbreak

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a screen?

A single row at 2.5m centres is right for a screen. Closer spacing crowds the canopies and pushes the plants upward, which thins the screen at eye level.

How long do wattles live?

Most wattles are short lived compared with other trees, and this is best thought of as a fifteen to twenty year plant. Worth knowing before you rely on it as a permanent boundary.

Will it drop branches or need staking?

It is wind tolerant, but a young plant in an exposed site benefits from a low stake for the first year. Tip pruning early does more for a strong frame than staking.