How many types of wattle are there

Acacia anceps. Acacia species flower throughout the year although the bulk of species flower during spring and summer and a lesser number flower during autumn and winter. Globular inflorescences Acacia cultriformis.

Acacia inflorescence types - globular left and cylindrical right. Cylindrical inflorescences Acacia blakei. Acacia purpureapetala. Flowers can vary in colour through cream, pale yellow to gold.

One species, Acacia purpureapetala , has purple flowers whilst a form of Acacia leprosa has red flowers. The flowers of many species are delicately perfumed.

Acacia leprosa 'Scarlet Blaze'. Some of the diversity of foliage in Acacia. Acacia show a range of foliage types. The true leaves are divided into leaflets, but a large group of wattles develop modified flat leaf-like structures called phyllodes which are simply flattened stems soon after germination. The foliage colour of Acacia ranges from light or dark green to blue or silver-grey.

Stages of foliage development from true leaves to phyllodes. A few species lack true leaves or phyllodes altogether and in these plants cladodes which are simply modified stems function as the leaves. Cladodes are illustrated at left in this Acacia glaucoptera. Acacia make excellent garden plants. They range in habit from prostrate and low-growing species to larger shrubs and shade trees.

Most respond to pruning immediately after flowering and, if carried out regularly, pruning can extend the life of the plant. As Acacia species flower throughout the year it is possible, with careful selection, to have Acacia flowering in the garden at all times of the year. With more than species and varieties worldwide, about of these are native to Australia. Acacias are generally long-lived and fast-growing, often with deep roots that enable them to thrive under dry, drought conditions.

Acacias have a variety of landscape uses. Most have clusters of flowers that are yellow or cream in color.. What appears to be leaves on some acacia trees are actually modified petioles , the parts of the stem that attach the leaves to the branch. When the petioles form in this manner, they are called phyllodes. The plant may start out with real leaves that change to phyllodes as it matures. Other species have a modified stem called a cladode.

On the species that do have true leaves, the leaves are pinnately compound—consisting of rows of leaflets around a central stem. Some species of Acacia include a psychoactive alkaloid in the leaves, seed pods, flowers, or stems. The psychoactive agent, known as DMT dimethyltryptamine , is a powerful but short-lived hallucinogen that has been used for spiritual purposes by indigenous peoples. Acacia acinacea, Acacia acuminata ssp. Accidental ingestion to a degree that produces psychoactive effects is very rare, but it has been suggested that you should use caution not to breathe the smoke when burning brush that that contains acacia plants.

Some species also bear sharply modified stems or thorns which can be useful for preventing access in certain locations. If you choose a thorny variety be sure to place it away from high traffic areas. Acacia koa is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and is one of the most common trees in the state.

Sometimes known as Hawaiian mahogony, the tree's wood is prized for making guitars, surfboards, and outrigger canoes. Mature trees also serve as habitat for local birds and insects. These acacias are quite similar, and some botanists classify them as the same species. Creeping wattle, sometimes known as blue leaf wattle, can be a large shrub, a single-trunked tree, or multi-stemmed tree.

This is a species that has phyllodes instead of leaves, which can take the appearance of willow leaves. The species can become invasive because the seeds are picked up by ants and birds that move them to new locations where the seeds easily sprout. As the species and common names of box leaf or box-leaved wattle suggest, the phyllodes on this shrub are similar to those of the boxwoods Buxus spp. This is one of the hardier species of acacia, tolerating temperatures down to 19 degrees F.

The coastal wattle also known as Sydney golden wattle tolerates salt, and drought and can be used to create a living fence. Green and yellow dyes can be made from the seeds and flowers, respectively. In some areas, it can become invasive. Also known as white wattle, this acacia shrub has phyllodes that are similar to flax leaves. The flowers are cream or light yellow in color and may appear in both summer which is December to March in the Southern Hemisphere and winter June to September.

In some areas, it can take over and become invasive. Gum from the green wattle tree can be eaten and is used in jellies. The flowers are also edible. The bark is used for tanning leather.

In South Africa, it is considered to be invasive and has earned the nickname "green cancer. Occasionally called prickly Moses, the juniper wattle is a thorny species that can be used as a privacy hedge. The flowers can be either cream or white. The species name "ulicifolia" suggests that the phyllodes on this shrub are similar to the leaves of gorse Ulex.

Previously, it was known as Acacia juniperina. The kangaroo thorn can be used as a hedge, thanks to its thorny stems that inhibit passage the plant is also called prickly wattle or hedge wattle in some regions. This shrub works well in coastal areas, as it can tolerate salty conditions.

It is regarded as invasive in some areas, including Australia, South Africa, and California. You may also see this named categorized as Acacia armata, Racosperma armata, or Mimosa paradoxa. Late flowering black wattle grows as either a tall shrub or a small tree. Long spikes of bright yellow ball-shaped flowers appear in winter and spring.

Previously, this plant was categorized as Acacia cunninghamii. Lightwood, also known as scrub wattle or hickory wattle , is a long-lived shade tree with rough grayish bark and twisted seed pods.

It can grow as a single-trunk or multiple-trunk tree, and it can colonize into groves by spreading through suckers. It is very similar to and sometimes mistaken for blackwood Acacia melanoxylon.

Sometimes referred to as a hickory tree, it is not a true type of hickory, as those belong to the Carya genus. The wood is used to make furniture. This is a fast-growing, small to medium-sized shrub. As the common and species name indicate, the myrtle wattle's phyllodes are much like the leaves of the myrtle. They vary in size enormously from small shrubs no higher than a metre - the size of the grass leaf wattle, right up to the 15 metre high glorious silver wattle Acacia dealbata.

Wattles have two types of flowers - the cylinder, or rod, types and the more common ball shape. Each little segment is one flower. The golden stamens are tightly packed and it makes the flower look a little like a tennis ball, but it's really the size of a thumbnail. There are a range of wattles to choose from. Look out for Acacia cultriformis with its grey coloured triangular shaped leaves. It really is a beautiful hanging plant, growing to about 2 metres high so it's a beautiful medium shrub.

The golden wattle Acacia pycnantha has flattened phyllodes that look a little like a eucalypt. But it might be too big for a suburban garden. A favourite is the hybrid Acacia buxifolia x decora. It's got a few beautiful flowers, but the reason I like it is the grey green leaves which are soft, very gentle and great to use in the garden. Acacia flexifolia shimmers in the sunlight when it's in full flower and has a gorgeous honey scent.

It grows to about a metre to 2 metres tall and has linear, needle like foliage, which look spiky but are not. One word of warning: some people get asthma and hay fever when they go near a wattle.