Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Leather Leaf Acacia
Leather Leaf Acacia is an evergreen Australian shrub or small tree with round, thick, gray-green leaves. It grows about 10 to 15 feet tall and is used as a screen, an informal hedge or a small multi-trunk patio tree. Bright yellow puffball flowers open in spring and draw bees. It takes full sun and reflected heat and needs little water once rooted.
Best for: evergreen screens and informal hedges, a small multi-trunk patio tree, hot walls with reflected heat, and spring flowers for bees.
It keeps its thick, round, gray-green leaves all year and is used for screening, informal hedges and background planting. Space plants 12 to 20 feet apart.
With some shaping it can be grown as a small multi-trunk tree about 10 to 15 feet tall. It has no thorns, and it needs very little pruning.
It performs best in full sun with reflected heat and needs little water once rooted. Bright yellow puffball flowers in spring draw bees.
It grows slowly to moderately, so it takes time to fill a screen. Flat pods follow the flowers and add some litter. Too much water in alkaline soil turns the leaves yellow.
- Tight screen or hedge12 ft apart, center to center
- Looser screen20 ft apart, center to center
Right after planting, soak it every 1 to 2 days in summer, or every 3 to 4 days in the cooler months. By the second month, aim for about once a week in summer, and keep regular deep soaks going for about 3 years. Established trees want a soak 2 to 3 feet deep at the canopy edge about every 2 to 3 weeks in summer, and about monthly in winter.
The nursery stake comes off at planting, and stakes go in only if the tree cannot hold itself up or wind is a problem. Two stakes outside the root ball, soft ties, and a little sway build a stronger trunk. Remove them in about a year.
It needs very little pruning beyond shaping. Pruning up the lower branches over time turns it into a small tree. Remove no more than a quarter of the canopy in a year, and never strip the inner branches so leaves are left only at the tips. Finish any thinning before monsoon season starts in mid-June.
Acacias do not like wet feet. Soil that stays soggy can rot the roots and yellow the leaves, so let it dry between deep soaks.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does Leather Leaf Acacia get?
It grows about 10 to 15 feet tall and 8 to 15 feet wide, and more water makes it grow faster and larger. Space screen plants 12 to 20 feet apart.
How fast does it grow?
It grows slowly to moderately, and extra water speeds it up. Buy a larger size if you want a screen sooner.
Is Leather Leaf Acacia good for privacy?
Yes. It is evergreen and is used for screens, informal hedges and background planting.
Does Leather Leaf Acacia have thorns?
No, it is thornless, so it is easy to plant near walks and patios.
How much water does it need?
Little once it is rooted, and established plants can get through summer on very little. More regular deep watering gives better growth, looks and flowering.
When does it bloom?
Bright yellow puffball flowers open mostly in spring, with some later in the year, and bees are strongly drawn to them. Keep it back a little from doors and seating if bees bother you.
Does it drop pods?
Yes. Flat, tan pods about 2 inches long follow the flowers and add some litter.
Can it take reflected heat?
Yes. It does best in full sun and handles reflected heat off walls and paving.
How cold hardy is Leather Leaf Acacia?
It is hardy to about 16 to 20°F, which covers a normal Valley winter, so it needs no frost cover.
Why are the leaves turning yellow?
Too much water in alkaline soil can turn the leaves yellow. Cut back on watering and make sure the soil drains.
Does it need pruning?
It needs very little pruning. Prune only to shape it, or to train it into a small multi-trunk tree.
Leather Leaf Acacia for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Leather Leaf Acacia is an evergreen Australian acacia with round, thick, gray-green leaves, grown as a screen, hedge or small patio tree. It handles full sun and reflected heat on little water. This page covers size, growth speed, water, flowers, pods and cold.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Leather Leaf Acacia for privacy screens in Arizona
It is evergreen, thornless and grows about 10 to 15 feet tall, so it is used for screens and informal hedges. Space plants 12 to 20 feet apart.
How big does Leather Leaf Acacia get?
About 10 to 15 feet tall and 8 to 15 feet wide. It grows slowly to moderately, and more water makes it grow faster and larger.
How to water Leather Leaf Acacia in Phoenix
Once rooted it needs little water, though regular deep watering gives better growth and more flowers. Too much water in alkaline soil turns the leaves yellow.
Leather Leaf Acacia flowers
Bright yellow puffball flowers open mostly in spring, with a few later in the year, and bees are strongly drawn to them.
Can Leather Leaf Acacia be a small tree?
Yes. With light shaping it can be grown as a small multi-trunk patio tree about 10 to 15 feet tall.
Leather Leaf Acacia in reflected heat
It does best in full sun with reflected heat, which makes it a fit for hot walls and paving.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.