The small f lowers and ramshackle form of
many wattles belie the impact these plants
have on the Australian environment.
WAT T L ES
W
AT TLES BELONG to the plant genus
Acacia, which contains about 1350
species worldwide, including 1000
in Australia. Ranging from trees to minuscule
shrubs, acacias dominate many of our landscapes.
“Acacia forests and woodlands of the semi-arid
and arid parts of Australia are probably the most impor-
tant [of these],” says Professor Michelle Leishman, a plant
ecologist at Macquarie University in Sydney. Notably,
stunted mulga woods and shrublands, often dominated
by Acacia aneura, cover about 20 per cent of the mainland.
Most wattles are hardy and fast-growing. They’re
used extensively in horticulture and for habitat restora-
tion, and are an important traditional Aboriginal food
source. Many are also used in bush medicine and the
timbers and bark of some have been used to make
spears, boomerangs, clubs, fi shing nets and as a canvas
for Aboriginal art.
The green-and-gold colours that have come to defi ne
our national identity and are worn by our sporting heroes
come from wattle. Sprigs embellish the Commonwealth
Coat of Arms and the golden wattle, Acacia pycnantha, is
our offi cial national fl oral emblem. During World War 1,
our soldiers were sent sprigs to wear as a symbol of hope
and reminder of home. National Wattle Day on 1 Sep-
tember each year coincides with the fl owering season of
many wattles – it’s a day of national pride and a symbolic
acknowledgement of the environment that sustains us.TEXT BY JAMES O’HANLON ILLUSTRATIONS BY HEIDI WILLISWESTERN
WHEATBELT WATTLE
Acacia brachypoda
Restricted to two small sites in
south-western WA, this wattle is
listed as an endangered species.
Nursery-grown plants are being
used to establish additional
populations in the face of
threats, such as rising soil salinity.
Its thin branching leaves form a
dense, rounded shrub, which
glows yellow when in bloom.RED-STEMMED WATTLE
Acacia rubida
Growing on hilly terrain across
the Great Dividing Range, the
red-stemmed wattle can reach a
height of about 5m. As with
most wattles, it flowers in early
spring and attracts pollinators
such as bees, wasps and beetles.
Wattle flowers lack nectar but
pollinators swarm to collect
abundant protein-rich pollen.PURPLE-FLOWERED WATTLE
Acacia purpureapetala
This critically endangered wattle
is another with atypically
coloured flowers. It’s found only
on the high, rocky slopes of a
few mountains in far north QLD,
and there are only an estimated
500 left in the wild. Although
there’s much interest in its
mauve-pink flowers, it has
proven difficult to cultivate.MULGA
Acacia aneura
This wattle is prolific
across much of the
inland. There are
about 10 varieties- these typically form
shrubs growing up to
2–3m tall in arid areas
and up to 10m tall in
wetter environments.
Mulga is drought-tolerant
and can live for more than
50 years. Its seeds are
important in traditional
bush tucker – they
can be cooked
or ground into
a paste.
22 Australian GeographicSprigs of hope