Acacia elata aka Cedar Wattle

Acacia elata is an Australian tree in the pea family, Fabaceae. People call it cedar wattle or mountain cedar wattle. Useful Tropical Plants lists it in four Australian states. They are Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia. Its notes on growing the tree focus on eastern Australia. They cover warm temperate and subtropical parts of that region. The RHS lists it as non-native to Britain and Ireland.

This tree has no thorns and grows fast. It can also live for a fairly long time. The plant profile gives a height of 49 feet [15 metres]. The broader account gives a usual range of 23–66 feet [7–20 metres]. A few trees reach 82–92 feet [25–28 metres]. Trunks reach about 2 feet [0.6 metres] across. Some reach 3 feet [0.9 metres] across. In open sites, trees can keep branches near the ground. This species keeps its true leaves as it grows old. It does not grow phyllodes in their place. Phyllodes are flat leaf stalks.

In the wild, it grows by rivers and through ravines. It grows in rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest, too. The latter has plants with tough leaves. It also grows in tall open forest. Wooded ranges with steep slopes form more of its habitat. It grows in deep, sandy ground by streams. Sites reach up to 3,937 feet [1,200 metres] above sea level. Some winter days in its native range fall below freezing. At higher sites, snow gives it some of its moisture. These facts do not give a firm garden hardiness rating.

Grow it in sun and soil that drains well. Wild plants grow in acid to neutral sandy soils. Some sites have sandstone and shale beneath the soil. Reports give yearly rainfall of 625 to 1,250 millimetres. Mean yearly temperatures range from 11 to 17°C. In the hottest months, temperatures reach around 23 to 29°C. People also grow this tree in some tropical countries. Insects pollinate it. The evidence does not say when it blooms.

People grow cedar wattle for shade, shelter and its looks. Plantations also use its growth as green manure. Its wood and bark yield useful things, such as tannins. People have made dyes from the flowers and leaves. Some trunks and branches yield small amounts of amber-coloured gum. Useful Tropical Plants lists no known uses as food. This does not mean that all parts are safe to eat. The supplied species accounts name no specific pests or diseases.