Australian Acacias

With over 960 species, wattles (Acacia) are Australia’s largest genus of flowering plants.
That’s an amazing 70% of the world’s wattles!

They are extremely diverse; found from rainforest to arid land, and ranging from small creeping plants such as Acacia pulviniformis to forest trees (Acacia bakeri).

Mulga (Acacia aneura) is dominant in the arid regions of the interior; its dark heartwood is often used by aboriginal people for boomerangs and other implements. Wattles have been used for many purposes including tanning and dyeing, perfumes, fuel and furniture.

Did you know?
The Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha) is Australia’s national flower, appearing on the national emblem and at official ceremonies. National ‘Wattle Day’ is celebrated in September.

Back up to: temperate house plants

On to: Forest and tree ferns