The Shoestring Acacia is a fast growing smaller evergreen tree reaching 25-30 with upright branching and somewhat bent or twisted to weeping secondary branches seemingly going all over each other. Generally single stemmed but can be found as a multi stemmed tree. Not really attractive in a small container and needs a good salesperson with a nice specimen on hand to sell them. Life span is reported to be plus or minus 50 years but I have seen several just fall over.
Leaves are evergreen, alternately arranged, simple, linear, 12 -16" long by 1/3 - 1/2" wide, dull gray-green color on both sides, thick textured, generally straight but some lightly curved. They are technically phyllodes and not leaves, but flattened petioles which is the stalk of a typical leaf.
Flowers appear in the early spring but the only ones I have seen in SC county blooming are too high. They are light yellow and in round clusters like many other acacias.
Fruit is a pod, often called a loment because of the restrictions between the seeds, 3-5" long, tan to brown in color. Pod will often break apart at the constrictions. The pods I collected form seed off the trees in Santa Barbara came with weevils in every seed.
Stems are mahogany colored, thick and more or less shiny. Vegetative buds are tiny.
Bark is persistent, rough, dark gray with reddish inside the checked bark.
Misidentification:
Cant think of anything
Location:
Aptos:
Cabrillo College Hort Center (6500 Soquel Drive) (Fell over in the wind)
455 Sandalwood Dr.
Capitola
4525 Garnet St.
Santa Cruz
City all along Locust St