Re: frost damage

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Dear Charles

 

I don't know of an Acacia decurrens dealbata. I have both an Acacia decurrens, also known as the early black wattle, and an Acacia dealbata, known here as the silver wattle. A.dealbata is the species known as mimosa when it is grown in the Mediterranean. It is the one used for gum arabic and has excellent tannins. Is yours a locally developed variety of A.decurrens?

 

Margaret Healey

Ner Ballarat

Victoria

Australia

----- Original Message -----

From: Charles Dills

To: MeditPlants

Sent: Sunday, August 12, 2007 2:13 PM

Subject: frost damage

As is probably well known we collect bromeliads. But I volunteer at our local fledgling Mediterranean botanic garden. That is why I appreciate being one of this group. 

We have an Australian tree, Acacia decurrens dealbata, that really got hit hard last January when the temperature went down to 21 degrees on 16 January. I don't know if it is a Mediterranean tree or not but I thought you might like to see these pictures. It warns you to not give up too soon when something like this happens. It looked like it had been killed. But I just left it alone.

See:   http://www.charlies-web.com/frost/frost.html

It has looked dead for 7 months. The other day I worked my way through the outer dead leaves and, as I expected, it has been coming back.

I have started breaking off the outside dead branches and leaves and it is beginning to look like it is recovering slowly but well.

I have posted two pictures at the bottom of my "Frost" page. All the early pictures are of the bromeliad damage, of course, but if you go down to the bottom of the page, the last two pictures show you the present state of the tree.

Enjoy.        Smile! ---Chas---