Native Willow

The Native Willow, also known as the Willow Acacia or Cooba, is an elegant and exceptionally tough evergreen tree, highly valued for its graceful weeping form and remarkable adaptability to arid conditions. This resilient long-lived perennial is native to Australia, where it is widespread across regions ranging from those receiving high rainfall to arid central areas. It thrives in full sun and a wide range of well-drained soils, including sandy, loamy, and even saline conditions. In Phoenix, Arizona, the Willow Acacia is a highly popular and widely planted shade tree, performing exceptionally well in the intense heat and sun. It can live for 30 to 50 years or more, forming a substantial and enduring presence in the landscape.

Its most distinctive characteristics include its open, airy canopy and pendulous, weeping branches, which give it a soft, willow-like appearance, hence its common name. The leaves (more accurately, phyllodes ‘“ flattened leaf-like stems) are long, narrow, and a beautiful blue-green to silvery-gray-green color, creating a fine, wispy texture that rustles pleasantly in the breeze. The foliage is evergreen, providing year-round interest and filtered shade. The tree typically develops a slender trunk and exhibits a fast growth rate, eventually reaching heights of 20-40 feet with a spread of 15-20 feet. In fall and winter (and sometimes intermittently year-round in Phoenix), mature Willow Acacias produce clusters of small, creamy-white, puffball-like flowers that are subtly fragrant and attractive to bees and other pollinators. These are followed by elongated, woody seed pods that are ornamental but can be numerous. The Acacia Salicina is renowned for its exceptional drought tolerance once established, its resilience to extreme heat, and its minimal maintenance requirements. Its graceful form, fine texture, and ability to thrive in challenging desert conditions make it an excellent choice for street trees, park trees, residential yards, and as a beautiful, low-water accent or shade tree in xeriscapes and desert-adapted landscapes, particularly excelling in the climate of Phoenix, Arizona. It is important to note that it can sucker freely from its root system, especially when stressed, which may require occasional management.