Guide Helen’s plant of the month for April

Acacia dunnii, or elephant ear wattle, is a Kimberley plant. It is growing in Kings Park Botanic Garden in the centre of the roundabout near the big boab ‘Gija Jumulu’.

The Acacia dunnii is spectacular with distinctive grey-green, leathery and large (up to 30cm long) ‘elephant ear’ phyllodes and showy bright yellow globular infloresences. It is very different from its more southerly-growing relatives. The beautiful yellow flower baubles appear between January and June and are followed by large – up to 17 mm long – pods of seeds.

Acacia dunnii is a hardy, low-maintenance plant: growing up to 7 m high. It likes to be warm: preferring arid and semi-arid areas, it may prove to be quite a bonus in our gardens as our climate continues to warm.

This Acacia is named after geologist Edward John Dunn (1844-1937).

Many of our guided walks go through the Kimberley garden, where the elephant ear wattle can be seen, or call in at our Visitor Information Centre to get directions to where it is growing.