Silver Leaf Wattle

~ Acacia podalyriifolia ~

FABACEAE

One of my favourite residents within my area (and backyard), these small trees signal the cooler months on the mountain and bring vibrant colour to the bush each winter. Their small silvery branches and foliage can be trimmed off the bush and arranged in the home for long-lasting greenery, providing comfort and connection with Mother Earth. These bushes naturally attract seed-feeding birds and the Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala) is illustrated here. These birds are a regular visitor to my backyard and on warm autumn days I watch them swinging off the silver-leaved branches, presenting an acrobatic display while getting dusted in pollen. In true miner bird style, they’ll then fly off to go pick a fight with a Kookaburra. Acacia podalyriifolia can also combat erosion and fix nitrogen deficiency in soils (see Coastal She-oak on p. 157 for more on fixing nitrogen).

WHERE TO LOOK

The Silver Leaf Wattle is also called the Queensland Wattle and, as its name suggests, is a resident of the eastern states, garnishing dry eucalypt woodlands and coastal areas. It can also be found further south and in south-west Western Australia, where it’s been introduced and can be a bit of a pest.

Locations → Queensland: Carnarvon National Park, Toohey Forest Park and Clear Mountain; Victoria: You Yangs Regional Park; WA: Wungong Regional Park.

FEATURES

This bushy shrub can grow to a small 5m tree. The highlight of this plant is its beautiful oval-like silvery foliage, which are phyllodes (see White Wattle on p. 73) measuring 20–30mm long, sitting along striking white powder-coated branchlets. Small fluffy golden balls measuring 5–8mm sit in clusters of 15 to 30 and can be heavily coated in pollen, causing those infamous spring allergies. Fruit are seed pods measuring 50–120mm long and contain many black seeds coated in a fleshy aril. This aril is like a coating on the seed that ants love snacking on; they tend to harvest and hoard the seeds underground, which can assist germination.

FLOWERING SEASON

Autumn to spring → In their endemic Queensland climate, they can be seen flowering from May in late autumn through to spring.

PLANTING

These Acacias are fast growing and tend to have high germination rates in the wild. Seeds will need a pre-treatment of boiling water with an overnight soak and to be sown around March. They should germinate in about three to four weeks. Both seeds and plants are readily available online and in nurseries. It enjoys most soils and will tolerate part shade, but it flowers better in full sun.