About the Catchment Area : Flora and Fauna

Golden Wattle

Acacia pycnantha along with the rest of the wattles is recognised as a 'pioneer' species. It is among the suite of indigenous species which establish first after a disturbance, via seeds stored in the soil.

Fast growing characteristics and the ability shared by all legumes to condition soil by fixing atmospheric nitrogen (essential for balanced ecosystems), makes Acacia pycnantha especially valuable for revegetation projects.

Regeneration of Golden Wattle can produce dense thickets in forests and woodlands and along roadsides.

Thickets can be seen locally along the edges of the Mark Oliphant Conservation Park on Scott Creek Road. Golden Wattle is relatively short-lived but will produce seed rapidly.

During the growth and proliferation stage, it will also act to suppress weeds in the area surrounding their establishment.

Thickets will naturally thin out over time as other species emerge to take their place in the unfolding vegetation succession.

As many revegetation sites have had quite a high level of disturbance, namely land clearance and grazing, wattles such as Acacia pycnantha are an invaluable tool for 'nursing' other species used in the revegetation process.

Attempting to create a vegetation community all at once without wattles will result in disappointment and could prove costly, due to less natural regeneration and reduced survivorship of planted tubestock.

Description and Distribution
Golden Wattle occurs in the understorey of open forest or woodland and in open scrub formations in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, in temperate regions with mean annual rainfall of 350 mm to 1000 mm.

Flowers
Pod seed shape and size: pods are dark brown and thin up to 10cm long, enclosing black seeds 4x3mm in size.

Flowering Time: July to October

Hints for Seed Collection
July to November. Seed can be collected from December onwards, but pods will take longer to ripen in cool weather. Keep an eye on ripening pods as they can ripen rapidly after a few hot days. Strong winds and stormy conditions will also dislodge pods at short notice. Pick dark brown pods or place a tarpaulin or similar beneath the tree and shake branches to dislodge pods and seed.

Habitat and Ecology
Nectar is secreted by glands on the leaves (not the flowers), which attracts ants. Ants then predate upon and fend off gall producing flies and wasps, hence acting as the protectors of the wattles.

Birds such as Honeyeaters and Silvereyes are also attracted to the nectar, as are native bees. Several parrot species including the endangered Orange-bellied Parrot in the Southeast have been recorded eating flowers and seeds of the Golden Wattle. The funicles and arils (seed attachments) are rich in protein and sought after by ants which consequently disperse the seed underground. Some butterflies also use the unopened buds as a host site for their eggs.