Acacia retinodes Lisette

Acacia retinodes 'Lisette' is a beautiful improvement of the famous Wattle of the four seasons. More floriferous, it produces more generous clusters of yellow and fragrant flowers, while possessing the same qualities of vigour and tolerance to limestone soils. It is a large evergreen bush that blooms several times a year, with a predominance from May to November. Its small characteristic flowers, resembling tiny yellow pompoms, have a unique scent and are highly prized in floral art. Its light foliage consists of flat, bright green petioles, which are very thin and elongated. This mimosa is not very hardy, but it tolerates poor soils and drought well, and does not sucker. It will make a magnificent subject in a large pot, to be stored indoors during winter in cold regions, or in the ground in mild climates.

Acacia retinodes should not be confused with the tree we call acacia. It is a shrub native to Australia, belonging to the Fabaceae family, just like alfalfa and lupins. This small tree or large bush has a rounded and compact habit, reaching 4m (13ft) in all directions at maturity. Its growth is quite fast. The reddish brown bark cracks as it ages. Its flowering is irregular from January to December, but particularly abundant from May to November. Its small round flowers are clusters of bright yellow stamens and are gathered in axillary racemes. Their scent is recognisable among all: a very fresh herbaceous aroma gives way to a divine scent of honey. It is quite a powdery fragrance. Its foliage consists of flat petioles, called phyllodes, with the appearance of long, lanceolate leaves, green in colour. It readily self-seeds in acidic soil and is often used as a rootstock for other species and varieties, thanks to its good tolerance to limestone soils. Its hardiness does not exceed -6°C (21.2°F), but its resistance to summer drought is excellent.

When planted in the ground in mild climates, 'Lisette' can be used as a standalone specimen, in hedges or in rows, and as a vegetal windbreak, due to its screening power. It can be planted with other frost-sensitive shrubs with an exotic appearance, such as Caesalpinia gilliesii, Abutilon, Solanum, Jacaranda mimosifolia ('Blue Flamboyant'), Sesbania punicea, escallonias or Coleonema album. It can be grown in pots, by protecting it from winter frosts in a greenhouse or a minimally heated conservatory. Create generous bouquets: its flowering branches with their wonderful scents perfume an entire room in the house.