Queensland Silver Wattle

(Also known as Mt Morgan Wattle)

Acacia podalyriifolia

Family: Fabaceae

Type of weed:

Description

An upright, spreading shrub or small tree usually growing 2-6m tall. The bark on the main trunk is grey or greyish-brown. Younger branches are round, with a dense covering of hairs. They are also conspicuously whitish or bluish-green.

The ‘leaves’ are actually flattened and widened leaf stalks called phyllodes. The phyllodes are alternately arranged along the stems, oval in shape and usually silvery-grey to bluish-green.

The small bright yellow or golden-yellow flowers are fluffy and densely arranged into small clusters containing 15-30 flowers. The plant can flower all year.

The fruit is a long, flattened pod with a short stalk and prominent margins. Pods are velvety hairy, bluish-green or silvery-grey in colour. Seed is long-lived and germinates quickly after fire and other disturbances.

Note:

Mt Morgan Wattle is a native plant from Queensland but has become invasive outside its original range. It can be mistaken for local wattles and is often planted in gardens.

 

Dispersal

Seed is dispersed by birds, ants, machinery and by in dumped garden waste. They are probably also spread by wind and water.

Impact on bushland

Mt Morgan wattle moves into intact bushland displacing local wattles. Some infestations are scattered. Where it forms dense stands, it shades out other native plants. It also fixes nitrogen in the soil, making it unsuitable for the germination of many local native plants.

Distribution

Alternative planting

Native plants

Local native wattles:

  • Acacia parramattensis
  • Black wattle (Acacia decurrens)
  • Sydney Golden Wattle (Acacia longifolia)
  • Sunshine Wattle (Acacia terminalis)
  • Prickly Moses (Acacia ulicifolia)

Council provides a tool, on its Mountain Landscapes website, to help you choose native alternative plantings. Choose your village, soil, vegetation community and the purpose of your planting, and the tool will give you suggestions.

There are native nurseries in several Blue Mountains villages, including Glenbrook, Lawson and Katoomba. Please also ask at your favourite local nursery.

Control

Drill & inject large trees with herbicide. Cut and paint saplings with herbicide. Small to medium seedlings can be hand pulled.

For key points on these techniques:

For more info

For key points on these techniques: