QLD Silver Wattle - Acacia podalyriifolia

Forest Friday is looking at the QLD Silver Wattle – Acacia podalyriifolia.

“Knowledge is great, understanding is better”

This is a chance for us to explore the different trees we use in our permaculture designs. There is so much to understand about a tree before placing it in a system, and by giving a tree what it needs to thrive, the whole system can benefit from the many design and ecologic functions they provide. Savour Soil uses the QLD Silver Wattle – Acacia podalyriifolia in many designs, as habitat and food for fauna, reflective screen and wind break, but there is so much more to this tree.

Habits:

Subtropical and warm temperate
Native Region is SE QLD and NE NSW
Habitat was mainly Eucalytp woodlands
Now found on road sides, open urban areas and riparian zones
Seeds are propagated by fire and other disturbance
Fleshy arils on the seed attract birds and ants who spread it

Needs, Tolerances + Susceptibilities:

Drought tolerant, requires very little water
Requires free draining soil
Full sun to part shade
Tolerant of frost
Self Pollinating
Native to soils derived from sandstone and granite
Will thrive in many soils
Susceptible to Longicorn beetles and sooty mold in humid areas

Charactoristics + Behaviours:

Large shrub wide spreading
Height to 7m but can be pruned to 2m
Has a taproot
Fast growing, short lived -10-15 years
Evergreen
Smooth grey bark
Prolific flowers and seeds in second year
Seeds remain viable for 5 years
Seeds designed to be attractive to birds, ants and small mammals for propagation
Invasive in regions outside of QLD
In South Africa it is banned as it outcompetes indigenous plants
Weed of refuse areas – seeds in rubbish
Could be toxic if ingested
Lots of Pollen for asthmatics

Design Function:

Prune to 2m as screen/ wind break
Perfect along roads to reflects light and heat
Prolific flowering during winter extending colour in the garden
Unique silver foliage
Perfumed yellow globular flowers from May to August

Products:

Habitat and food for local fauna
Flowers set in resin for jewelry
Iconic leaf structure and flower used in Australiana design -Silver Wattle is a colour in itself
Wattles in general are used for their quick growing wood, mulch, the seeds are a bush food, cut flowers in native displays.
The gum of wattles is the adhesive for postage stamps

Ecological Function:

It fixes nitrogen in the soil, prevents other natives growing
Soil stabliser, roots designed for holding thin soil together
Food for seed eating birds like Cockatoos + Parrots in particular the red winged parrot
Food for insect eating birds
Pollen for bees
Leaves are food for larvae of fiery Jewel and wattle blue butterflies
Good for bird nesting
Currently using types of wattles to hold back salinity in degrading soils