Acacia farnesiana. Maksim. Wikimedia Commons.
Acacias are a plant Genus that has so many species (and many of them fragrant) that it would take a book to detail them all. There are more than 1500 species and I’ve seen and smelled only about 5 of them. This is mostly due to geography, as Acacias don the dry tropics and deserts of the world, and I’m happily sequestered in the temperate zone. Trips to the Caribbean and desert southwest are in order to find more than the greenhouse specimens; and a trip to Africa and Australia to actually make a dent in observing more of the genera. For most of us in the temperate latitudes, the only Acacias we see are the ones in cool greenhouses and conservatories, where sufficient space and a proper environment is needed to grow these trees.
Two of the best known acacias in the states are Acacia baileyana and Acacia farnesiana. Both can grow outdoors in the warmer parts of Texas, Arizona, Florida, and California (zones 9-11). Others grown in outdoors and in greenhouses include Acacia retinodes, and Acacia dealbata. The later share in common a bloom period during the late winter to early spring part of the year, but the species on the whole has no consistency of bloom period and some are happy bloomers during summer and fall, or just year-round. Of the ones I’ve seen growing in Southern Florida and California, I can attest to them being winter bloomers, but then again I’ve seen a few species in the Caribbean that were summer bloomers as well.
Acacia dealbata. Alberto Salguero Quiles. Wikimedia Commons.
Mimosas, as they are lovingly called, are exceedingly fragrant. Acacia farnesiana and Acacia dealbata are used in the perfume industry under the epithet of ‘Cassie’ and don the scents of everything from perfumes to soaps. Acacia dealbata are also used for cut flowers, and bouquet fillers for International Women’s Day- which happens to be today ironically. I swear I did not plan this on purpose! The scent is exceedingly honey-like, which must be why bees love it so. A full blooming Acacia dealbata carries a way on the wind, particularly in the evening, leaving the garden with a sweetness beyond compare. I happened to catch one in full bloom at Fairchild back in January as the sun was going down, and couldn’t believe the intensity of the sweetness coming from the prolific golden blooms. I could have stayed all evening if the staff wouldn’t have thrown me out.
Other acacias share this sweetness, and go between being honey-like to being of the same essence as violets. I remember catching one blooming Acacia one summer in St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands that was nearly scentless by day, but by night was full-on scented like a mixture of violet and gardenia. I to this day have no idea which one of the thousand plus species it was, but if I had my own tropical garden- I would certainly have it! This is one of the few plants our friend down under have a one-up on us at, and I am fairly jealous of them for that. But you Australians can happily keep all your poisonous critters and we’ll take your best botanical assets in the meantime!
Fragrant Earth 