Acacia pycnantha
LEGUMINOSAE
Golden Wattle
A small tree, 4-8m tall.
Dark brown to grey bark. Smoother bark in young trees becoming rough & furrowed in older trees. Bark on branchlets is smooth & can have a white bloom on it.
Curved, sickle shaped leaves with thick stalks 5 to 20 cm x 0.5 to3.5cm, prominent mid vein, hanging downwards.
Fragrant, bright yellow flower balls, 6 to 10 mm diam. on thick stalks 5 to 15cm in groups of 20 to 80 . Budding throughout the year but finally flowering late Winter & Spring.
Brown, flat, straight or curved seedpods, 5 to 12 x 0.5 to 0.8 cm. Enclosing hard dark seeds. Ripe in Dec & Jan. Initially green turning brown on maturity, splitting along one side.
Drought, slightly saline, tolerant. Acid to neutral soils. Sand, loam, stony to clay soils. Can suffer yellowing leaves in limestone soils. Mature plants will be killed in bushfires but seeds will regenerate quickly after. Fast growing & popular for revegetation purposes.
Easily propagated. Pour boiling water over seed, leave to soak overnight, sow in propagating mix. Germinating seedlings have small oval leaflets opposite each other along a stem.
The tree gum was collected by indigenous people & utilised to make spear & axe bases. It was also used in syrup & food.
Acacia pycnantha has been cultivated commercially for tannin production as its bark produces more than any other species.
Its flowers have been used for perfume making. Popular with birds & bees.