In a corner of the Memorial Gardens of Penlee House in Penzance is an
unusual acacia (mimosa), the size of a small tree, that is still
carrying some flower. These are unlike any of the acacias described in
e.g. the RHS A-Z Encyclo or Phillip and Rix's 'Conservatory and Indoor
Plants'. They are primrose yellow, and rather than being the usual
fluffy little pom-poms, are quite elongated, giving the whole raceme
the appearance more of a bottle-brush than an acacia. The leaves are
bipinnate, typical of many acacias, and the seed pods are 10 - 15 cm
long. Seeds are black, oval, between 4 and 8 mm long, say 10 - 12 to a
pod, well spaced and plentiful. Needless to say I gathered quite a
few.

Can anyone identify which acacia this might be?


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

On 18/11/06 15:06, in article ,
"Chris Hogg" wrote:

In a corner of the Memorial Gardens of Penlee House in Penzance is an
unusual acacia (mimosa), the size of a small tree, that is still
carrying some flower. These are unlike any of the acacias described in
e.g. the RHS A-Z Encyclo or Phillip and Rix's 'Conservatory and Indoor
Plants'. They are primrose yellow, and rather than being the usual
fluffy little pom-poms, are quite elongated, giving the whole raceme
the appearance more of a bottle-brush than an acacia. The leaves are
bipinnate, typical of many acacias, and the seed pods are 10 - 15 cm
long. Seeds are black, oval, between 4 and 8 mm long, say 10 - 12 to a
pod, well spaced and plentiful. Needless to say I gathered quite a
few.

Can anyone identify which acacia this might be?

Sounds like A. verticillata.


--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 18/11/06 15:06, in article ,
"Chris Hogg" wrote:

In a corner of the Memorial Gardens of Penlee House in Penzance is an
unusual acacia (mimosa), the size of a small tree, that is still
carrying some flower. These are unlike any of the acacias described in
e.g. the RHS A-Z Encyclo or Phillip and Rix's 'Conservatory and Indoor
Plants'. They are primrose yellow, and rather than being the usual
fluffy little pom-poms, are quite elongated, giving the whole raceme
the appearance more of a bottle-brush than an acacia. The leaves are
bipinnate, typical of many acacias, and the seed pods are 10 - 15 cm
long. Seeds are black, oval, between 4 and 8 mm long, say 10 - 12 to a
pod, well spaced and plentiful. Needless to say I gathered quite a
few.

Can anyone identify which acacia this might be?

Sounds like A. verticillata.


--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

No, I think that one has needle like leaves (prickly mosses) what about A
longiflora? although I would have said it was more willow like in its
foliage.
--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collections of Clematis viticella (cvs) and
Lapageria rosea

On 18/11/06 17:32, in article , "Charlie
Pridham" wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 18/11/06 15:06, in article ,
"Chris Hogg" wrote:

In a corner of the Memorial Gardens of Penlee House in Penzance is an
unusual acacia (mimosa), the size of a small tree, that is still
carrying some flower. These are unlike any of the acacias described in
e.g. the RHS A-Z Encyclo or Phillip and Rix's 'Conservatory and Indoor
Plants'. They are primrose yellow, and rather than being the usual
fluffy little pom-poms, are quite elongated, giving the whole raceme
the appearance more of a bottle-brush than an acacia. The leaves are
bipinnate, typical of many acacias, and the seed pods are 10 - 15 cm
long. Seeds are black, oval, between 4 and 8 mm long, say 10 - 12 to a
pod, well spaced and plentiful. Needless to say I gathered quite a
few.

Can anyone identify which acacia this might be?

Sounds like A. verticillata.


--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

No, I think that one has needle like leaves (prickly mosses)

Very. It's bitten me many times in the pond greenhouse!

what about A
longiflora?
although I would have said it was more willow like in its
foliage.

I think you might mean A. longifolia and yes, I think you're probably right.

PH gave us a bunch of mimosa the other day that had even more willow like
foliage and the most powerful scent I have ever encountered. A. retinodes,
I *think* but not bottle brush-y flowers.

Silly moi, I didn't see the leaf description from the OP.

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

Thanks for your suggestions, but I think I've found it. It's almost
certainly Albizia lophantha aka Paraserianthese lophantha aka Cape
Wattle. Google images brings up lots of pictures that confirm it.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

On 18/11/06 21:25, in article ,
"Chris Hogg" wrote:

Thanks for your suggestions, but I think I've found it. It's almost
certainly Albizia lophantha aka Paraserianthese lophantha aka Cape
Wattle. Google images brings up lots of pictures that confirm it.


Ah. Not a mimosa, then. ;-)
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
"Chris Hogg" wrote:

Thanks for your suggestions, but I think I've found it. It's
almost
certainly Albizia lophantha aka Paraserianthese lophantha aka Cape
Wattle. Google images brings up lots of pictures that confirm it.


Ah. Not a mimosa, then. ;-)

???? I'm curious. What do you call a "mimosa" in the UK?

I notice that the Cape Wattle is from the Mimosa family
http://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/gnp9/para...lophantha.html and I
know I'd call anything that has the fluffy yellow flower a "wattle"
and thus mentally bung it in what you Brits call "mimosa" but what do
you Brits bung into the mimosa category (or exclude, as the case may
be)?

"Sacha" wrote after
"Chris Hogg" wrote:

Thanks for your suggestions, but I think I've found it. It's almost
certainly Albizia lophantha aka Paraserianthese lophantha aka Cape
Wattle. Google images brings up lots of pictures that confirm it.


Ah. Not a mimosa, then. ;-)

Not in this country and most of the rest of the world, but in the USA it's
Albizia julibrissin that is called mimosa.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albizia_julibrissin
Got a few growing in the greenhouse and hope I can get them big enough to go
in our new local park when it's made, that's if there are any left after
friends have had some. :-)

--
Regards
Bob H
17mls W. of London.UK

"Farm1" wrote
???? I'm curious. What do you call a "mimosa" in the UK?

I notice that the Cape Wattle is from the Mimosa family
http://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/gnp9/para...lophantha.html and I
know I'd call anything that has the fluffy yellow flower a "wattle"
and thus mentally bung it in what you Brits call "mimosa" but what do
you Brits bung into the mimosa category (or exclude, as the case may
be)?

Over this side of the pond (and most of the rest of the world too) we
usually refer to Acacia dealbata as Mimosa.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albizia says it all.
--
Regards
Bob H
17mls W. of London.UK

On 18/11/06 23:45, in article
, "Farm1"
please@askifyouwannaknow wrote:

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
"Chris Hogg" wrote:

Thanks for your suggestions, but I think I've found it. It's
almost
certainly Albizia lophantha aka Paraserianthese lophantha aka Cape
Wattle. Google images brings up lots of pictures that confirm it.


Ah. Not a mimosa, then. ;-)

???? I'm curious. What do you call a "mimosa" in the UK?

I notice that the Cape Wattle is from the Mimosa family
http://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/gnp9/para...lophantha.html and I
know I'd call anything that has the fluffy yellow flower a "wattle"
and thus mentally bung it in what you Brits call "mimosa" but what do
you Brits bung into the mimosa category (or exclude, as the case may
be)?

We call mimosas Acacias and Albizias, Albizias. ;-) The Albizia I'm
familiar with is the pink form which is A. julibrissin aka the Silk Tree.
It's tender in this country but will survive in the milder areas until and
unless they get a prolonged cold spell. Friends of mine in France had one
in their garden for years and they used to get a lot of snow every winter.
But one year they had a few sharp frosts in succession and a prolonged
period of wet and that was the end of it.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 18/11/06 21:25, in article ,
"Chris Hogg" wrote:

Thanks for your suggestions, but I think I've found it. It's almost
certainly Albizia lophantha aka Paraserianthese lophantha aka Cape
Wattle. Google images brings up lots of pictures that confirm it.


Ah. Not a mimosa, then. ;-)
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

To be fair it used to be!! untill they renamed it (twice) to tender for me
here outside but Chris ought to be ok

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collections of Clematis viticella (cvs) and
Lapageria rosea

On 19/11/06 08:55, in article , "Charlie
Pridham" wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 18/11/06 21:25, in article ,
"Chris Hogg" wrote:

Thanks for your suggestions, but I think I've found it. It's almost
certainly Albizia lophantha aka Paraserianthese lophantha aka Cape
Wattle. Google images brings up lots of pictures that confirm it.


Ah. Not a mimosa, then. ;-)
--

To be fair it used to be!! untill they renamed it (twice) to tender for me
here outside but Chris ought to be ok

I know. I wish 'they' would stop doing that. Someone asked me for the
proper name of Lippia citrodora and I had to admit that having tried to
learn and retain it at least four times, I've now got to face up to the fact
that I'm probably at the age where plants remain with the name I first
learned for them! I think it's Aloysia triphylla now but could well be
wrong. Anyway, I like the Lippia name much better..... ;-)

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
"Farm1" wrote
???? I'm curious. What do you call a "mimosa" in the UK?

I notice that the Cape Wattle is from the Mimosa family
http://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/gnp9/para...lophantha.html and
I
know I'd call anything that has the fluffy yellow flower a
"wattle"
and thus mentally bung it in what you Brits call "mimosa" but what
do
you Brits bung into the mimosa category (or exclude, as the case
may
be)?

Over this side of the pond (and most of the rest of the world too)

Not this part of the world :-)) Hhere in Australia, it's plain old
wattle. None of this "Mimosa" name which I've always thought was
silly soft woofy name for a right thug of a plant.

we
usually refer to Acacia dealbata as Mimosa.

Only A. dealbata or the rest of the acacia tribe as well?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albizia says it all.

Now I'm more confused than ever. That site seems to suggest that
Albizzias are often called Mimosa. And when I clicked on the
reference at that site that led me to Mimosa, it took me to this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimosa
Which has even more plants listed as being called Mimosa.

When I lived in the UK and saw "Mimosa" for sale in florists it was
always wattle (acacia) of some sort (and I seemed to think at the time
that it was probably Cootamundra wattle - A. baileyana). And given
that it is supposedly bad luck to have wattle inside, I never bought
any of it even though it made me quite homesick.

"Farm1" wrote after "Bob Hobden" replied
???? I'm curious. What do you call a "mimosa" in the UK?

I notice that the Cape Wattle is from the Mimosa family
http://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/gnp9/para...lophantha.html and
I
know I'd call anything that has the fluffy yellow flower a
"wattle"
and thus mentally bung it in what you Brits call "mimosa" but what
do
you Brits bung into the mimosa category (or exclude, as the case
may
be)?

Over this side of the pond (and most of the rest of the world too)

Not this part of the world :-)) Hhere in Australia, it's plain old
wattle. None of this "Mimosa" name which I've always thought was
silly soft woofy name for a right thug of a plant.

we
usually refer to Acacia dealbata as Mimosa.

Only A. dealbata or the rest of the acacia tribe as well?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albizia says it all.

Now I'm more confused than ever. That site seems to suggest that
Albizzias are often called Mimosa. And when I clicked on the
reference at that site that led me to Mimosa, it took me to this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimosa
Which has even more plants listed as being called Mimosa.

When I lived in the UK and saw "Mimosa" for sale in florists it was
always wattle (acacia) of some sort (and I seemed to think at the time
that it was probably Cootamundra wattle - A. baileyana). And given
that it is supposedly bad luck to have wattle inside, I never bought
any of it even though it made me quite homesick.


In the UK Mimosa is usually A. dealbata but I too have seen other Wattles
sold as Mimosa in florists, not that most would know the difference,
anything with yellow pompom flowers will do. Albizia julibrissin is the Silk
Tree here and I can't ever say I've seen it for sale anywhere as flowering
stems.
It's actually not grown much in the UK compared to A. dealbata of which
there are some fine examples locally, with the one on St.Anns Hill, Chertsey
being the biggest/best I've seen anywhere. (and yes I have been to Oz)
I think the problem is that they are all called various things in various
places in the world so an internet encyclopaedia will have to list them all
adding to the confusion.

The wattles probably are thuggish over your neck of the woods, they don't
tend to be here. :-)

--
Regards
Bob H
17mls W. of London.UK

On 20/11/06 04:30, in article
, "Farm1"
please@askifyouwannaknow wrote:

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
"Farm1" wrote
???? I'm curious. What do you call a "mimosa" in the UK?

I notice that the Cape Wattle is from the Mimosa family
http://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/gnp9/para...lophantha.html and
I
know I'd call anything that has the fluffy yellow flower a
"wattle"
and thus mentally bung it in what you Brits call "mimosa" but what
do
you Brits bung into the mimosa category (or exclude, as the case
may
be)?

Over this side of the pond (and most of the rest of the world too)

Not this part of the world :-)) Hhere in Australia, it's plain old
wattle. None of this "Mimosa" name which I've always thought was
silly soft woofy name for a right thug of a plant.

we
usually refer to Acacia dealbata as Mimosa.

Only A. dealbata or the rest of the acacia tribe as well?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albizia says it all.

Now I'm more confused than ever. That site seems to suggest that
Albizzias are often called Mimosa. And when I clicked on the
reference at that site that led me to Mimosa, it took me to this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimosa
Which has even more plants listed as being called Mimosa.

When I lived in the UK and saw "Mimosa" for sale in florists it was
always wattle (acacia) of some sort (and I seemed to think at the time
that it was probably Cootamundra wattle - A. baileyana). And given
that it is supposedly bad luck to have wattle inside, I never bought
any of it even though it made me quite homesick.



The mimosa in shops here is either A. baileyana or A. dealbata, I think.
Luckily, we don't regard it as unlucky to have it in the house. ;-) I
don't think I know anyone who calls it wattle and it doesn't seem to be seen
as a thug here, possibly because it's quite tender in many parts of the
country. It does grow very quickly though and has wonderful powers of
recovery - we have a A. dealbata in the garden which is an offshoot from the
broken off trunk of the original, knocked down in a gale. It has flowered
magnificently in the last two years and approaching our house from the
slight rise at one end of the village, there was this wonderful golden glow
that was visible hundreds of yards away.

We call Albizias, Albizia, not mimosa.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/