Propagating Acacia Trees – Learn How To Grow New Acacia Trees

 Acacias are a genus of trees and shrubs native to Australia and Africa and most suited to warm climates. Although there are many cultivars within the genus, acacias are attractive with beautiful yellow or white flowers and, in some cases, impressive spines. How do you, however, increase the number of acacias in your life?  Read on to learn more about propagating acacias and planting new acacia trees.

Acacia Propagation Methods

As a rule, acacia is propagated by seeds. The acacia plant produces large, distinctive seed pods that are hard to lose, and the seeds inside can usually be transplanted successfully. This method can be problematic, however, if you want to propagate a specific cultivar.

Some seeds of cultivars and hybrids won't necessarily grow correctly - you can plant a parent with a very specific flower color or growth pattern, and find that its offspring are very different.

For this reason, propagating acacia trees from cuttings is a safe bet if you're working with a hybrid or specialty cultivar. The cuttings are always correct of typing, as they are technically the same plant as the original.

How to Propagate Acacia Trees

It is very easy to propagate acacia trees from seed. Large pods turn brown and split on the tree—if you keep an eye on them, you can harvest before the pods split. In many acacia species, the seeds have a hard coating that burns naturally due to forest fires in nature. You can get rid of this layer by pouring boiling water over the seeds and soaking them for 24 hours.

Check your seed varieties to determine what type of pre-treatment is required. After this, the seeds can be planted in a regular potting mix about twice its thickness. Within 10 to 20 days, they ought to start to grow.

Propagating acacia from cuttings requires cuttings 7.5-10 cm long for new growth. Remove all leaves from the cutting except for the top leaves and place in a well-potted pot.

Cuttings root best in a warm, moist environment with indirect light. The success of propagating by cuttings varies widely by species.