if they seems to pop up in the darnedest places.. THINK INVASIVE SPECIES ....

want to bet a buck???

i dont know the ID ... ken

I assume it's an exotic species, too.

But I'm not a betting man. I won $100 in Reno once...and I haven't been back since... ;)

Josh

Acacia of some sort.

Resin

Definitely acacia. The flowers are not well enough developed yet, but my guess is either A. dealbata (officially listed as invasive) or A. baileyana (not yet officially listed but generally considered a weed). And yes, both are exotic species (Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand) that have naturalized throughout much of coastal California.

I've been going through lists of Acacia since reading Resin's suggestion, and I've certainly narrowed in on A. dealbata and A. baileyana....but the leaves don't look quite right in the Google images I've seen.

I appreciate the help, as I've wondered about the identity of this tree/shrub for a long time. I guess I'll need more pics.

Josh

both acacia baileyana and a. dealbata are widely planted (and naturalized) in northern california---both are similar looking and flower around the same time. dealbata (aka a. decurrens ssp. dealbata) tends to grow taller and more slender and is more common away from the immediate coast and IMHO its foliage is normally somewhat more finely "cut" than baileyana so my vote would be for dealbata (??????)

Josh,

The reason why the leaves don't look right is that most acacia have the ability to fold their leaves during the night. This helps with the prevention of evaporation. Remember that their native environment are dry arid places.

Alex

ACACIA NILOTICA

I agree-doesn't look quite right for baileyana.
A. baileyana is considered a weed around Sydney and Canberra as well; originally it came from a small area around Cootamundra (southern inland NSW).

They've begun to bloom, whatever they are.
I'll try to get some bloom pics soon.

Josh

As promised, a fine specimen in bloom.
Weather's been windy and rainy, so the pics are a bit dark. But I'm positive they'll be of use. In this first image of the whole tree, the man pictured stands no less than 6'8" - for comparison. This tree is located in Auburn, CA, a stone's throw from the Auburn Journal.

Again, thanks for your help with identification!
I've wondered about this tree for years.

Josh

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I was hoping the pics might help with the ID.

Can we safely say that this is A. baileyana?

Thanks!

Josh

Here is a link that might be useful: Acacia baileyana - at PlantFiles

And finally, the seeds!

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acacia dealbata.

Going once, going twice....Acacia dealbata...?

Thanks for any continuing help!

If one assumes it's either baileyana or dealbata, here are descriptions of both that should lead to an ID. I didn't take time to search through the descriptions and compare; I'll leave that to you.

Acacia baileyana: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Acacia~baileyana

Acacia dealbata: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Acacia~dealbata

Here is a link that might be useful: World Wide Wattle