It has always seemed to me that Acacia podalyriifolia is one of the first wattles to flower every winter, and so profusely! or at least it is one of the most immediately noticeable 🙂 The native bees think so too as you can see in the photo above.

The combination of the silver foliage with the bright lemon yellow flowers is hard to miss, and once you are up close the scent is incredible.

Acacia podalyriifolia can get to between 3 and 5 metres, it will happily grow in drier conditions and if given too much moisture will likely develop sooty mould. It is a quick growing species like most wattles and should flower in its 2nd year.

Like other wattles it also has a high capacity to become a weed and should not be planted in gardens that are in close proximity to natural bushland areas. It is also already a weed in several overseas countries.

However given the correct placement in a garden Acacia podalyriifolia makes an excellent understory shrub or screening tree, it provides food sources for seed eating birds such as rosellas and pigeons and this particular specimen was absolutely full of native bees. Other smaller birds like to shelter in the leafage too making podalyriifolia a great plant for attracting lots of bird life in your garden.