Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Low Boy Acacia
Low Boy Acacia is a low, spreading ground cover that stays about 2 feet tall and grows 10 to 15 feet across. Its gray-green, leaf-like foliage looks good all year, and small yellow puffball flowers cover it in spring. It is used on slopes and banks to hold soil and to cover large open areas. It handles full sun, reflected heat and alkaline soil on little water.
Best for: covering large open beds and banks, holding soil on slopes, hot spots with reflected heat, and low-water yards with spring color for bees.
A single plant stays about 2 feet tall and spreads 10 to 15 feet across. It is used to cover large open areas where a low, evergreen carpet is wanted.
Low Boy is planted on slopes and banks for erosion control. The low, woody stems spread across the ground and help keep soil in place.
It takes full sun and heat reflected off walls and paving. It grows in alkaline and slightly salty soil, as long as the soil drains well. Yellow spring flowers draw bees.
It needs room to spread. In small spaces it needs frequent cutting back, and hard pruning leaves it woody. Soggy, poorly drained soil leads to root problems.
- Ground cover planting8-12 ft apart, center to center
- Slopes and banks8-12 ft apart, center to center
Water regularly until it is rooted. After that, a deep soak every few weeks in summer is plenty, and less in winter. Let the soil dry between waterings, since soggy soil causes root problems.
One plant stays about 2 feet tall and spreads 10 to 15 feet. Space plants 8 to 12 feet apart so they do not pile up and need shearing.
If it grows into a walk or bed, trim it in early spring with small cuts. Avoid hard pruning, which leaves it woody.
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 Low Boy Acacia get?
About 2 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide. One plant covers a lot of ground, so plan the space before you plant.
How far apart should I plant Low Boy Acacia?
About 8 to 12 feet apart, center to center. Planted closer, the plants build up against each other and need shearing to stay low.
How fast does it spread?
It can start slowly while young, then spread faster once its roots take hold. Water it regularly until it is rooted to get it going.
How much water does Low Boy Acacia need?
Water regularly while it gets rooted. After that it is a low-water plant, though it does better with some extra water in hot, dry summers. Let the soil dry between waterings so it never stays soggy.
Is Low Boy good for slopes and erosion control?
Yes. It is one of the ground covers used for erosion control and slope and bank cover. The spreading woody stems help hold soil.
Can I cut it back?
Yes, lightly. Make small cuts in early spring if needed. Hard pruning leaves it woody and it loses its soft, full look.
Does it flower?
Yes. Small yellow puffball flowers cover it in spring. They draw bees and other pollinators.
Is Low Boy Acacia evergreen?
Yes. The gray-green, leaf-like foliage stays on and looks good all year.
Can it take reflected heat?
Yes. It handles full sun and heat reflected off walls, driveways and paving.
What soil does it need?
It needs soil that drains well. Alkaline and slightly salty soil is fine. Poorly drained, soggy soil leads to root problems.
How cold hardy is Low Boy Acacia?
It is hardy to about 15°F, which covers a normal Valley winter.
What if I plant it in a small space?
It will need frequent cutting back. It does best with plenty of room to spread, so a large bed or slope suits it better than a narrow strip.
Low Boy Acacia for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Low Boy Acacia is a very low, spreading form of an Australian acacia, grown as a ground cover for big spaces and slopes. It stays about 2 feet tall, spreads 10 to 15 feet and blooms yellow in spring. This page covers size, spacing, water, trimming, soil, cold and how it holds a slope.
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.
How wide does Low Boy Acacia spread?
About 10 to 15 feet across while staying about 2 feet tall. It needs room, so use it for large beds, banks and slopes rather than small spaces.
Low Boy Acacia for slopes and erosion control
It is planted on slopes and banks to hold soil. The low, woody stems spread across the ground and cover large areas with an evergreen carpet.
How to water Low Boy Acacia in Phoenix
Water regularly until it is rooted. After that it needs little water, with some extra in hot, dry summers. Keep the soil from staying wet, since soggy soil leads to root problems.
How to trim Low Boy Acacia
Trim with small cuts in early spring if it needs it. Avoid hard cutting, which leaves the plant woody and bare-looking.
Low Boy Acacia flowers
Small yellow puffball flowers cover the plant in spring and draw bees and other pollinators.
Low Boy vs Desert Carpet acacia
Both are very low-growing selections of the same Australian acacia, used as wide ground covers. Both stay about 2 feet tall and spread well over 10 feet.
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.