Acacia holosericea

Mimosaceae

Silky Leafed Wattle

 Form and Size: Large shrub or small tree to 5m with silvery-grey appearance.

Distribution: Across northern Australia, along watercourses or in open woodlands.

Phyllodes: Broad, silver to blue-green. 10-25cm x 1.5-9.6cm; 3-5 prominent veins radiating from the lower margin at the base. New growth often white with silky hairs.

Bark: Brown, rough.

Flowers: Slender yellow spikes, 3-6cm in length, singly or in pairs in the leaf axils.

Flowering Period: June to August.

Fruit: Clusters of curled and twisted pods, dark brown, which remain on the plant long after seeds have fallen. Pods 3-6cm x 0.3- 0.5cm; seeds longitudinal in the pod.

Distinctive Features: Silvery phyllodes with distinctive veining and convoluted seed pods. There is a smooth-leaved variety found at Keelbottom Creek, west of Townsville, which has smooth, green phyllodes and is a larger, bushier shrub.

Cultivation/Notes: Propagate from treated seed. Pruning will assist in maintaining an attractive shape and dense form. A fast growing wattle, useful for soil rehabilitation work. It is unfortunately another species which appears to suffer badly from attack by Longicorn beetles.