Acacia baileyana
Only a few of the 500 different Australian wattle trees are hardy enough to survive in the UK. The most commonly seen is Acacia dealbata, the mimosa used by florists. Rather more tender, A. baileyana is considered suitable for milder areas only. However, this beautiful little tree grows happily at the entrance to the Dorothy Fox Education Centre. Known as the Cootamundra wattle, it is evergreen with silvery blueish leaves composed of up to 40 tiny leaflets. The flowers are in racemes of fluffy little yellow balls which cover the canopy.
The tree was named in honour of Frederick Bailey, a government botanist, and the common name refers to the town of Cootamundra in the district of New South Wales where it originates.
It was introduced in 1888 and holds the Award of Garden Merit.
