It’s National Wattle day on 1 September and we celebrate it with our plant of the month – the Acacia lanuginophylla, or woolly wattle. Look out for it and other wattles flowering this month in the Acacia Garden, the Conservation Garden, around the Wadjuk Car Park and near the Botanical Cafe.

The species name lanuginophylla is derived from the Latin words lanugo-inis meaning wool and phyllus meaning leaved, referring to the hairy characteristics of the leaves.

The woolly wattle is a dense, domed, spreading shrub that grows up to 1.5m high and 2m wide with attractive soft grey foliage, white-woolly branchlets, and yellow-green new shoots.

Like most species of acacia, it has phyllodes rather than true leaves and the narrow phyllodes are densely woolly and grey-green. The globular shape flower heads are a feathery golden to yellow colour. Each globe holds around 30 flowers and they cover the plant from June to October. The seeds are oblong, hard, thin, and brittle with dense woolly hair covering the pod.

 The Acacia lanuginophylla is listed as vulnerable, which means it is at high risk of extinction in the wild. It is found naturally occurring in the Shires of Lake Grace and Yilgarn, with precise locations withheld for conservation reasons. There are 9 populations and 15 subpopulations in the wild but, sadly, there has been a decrease of nearly 45% in the population since 1991.

Other wattles to look out for and compare are the Acacia saligna or orange wattle, the Acacia glaucoptera or flat wattle and the Acacia denticulosa or sandpaper wattle.

Join one of our daily guided walks and enjoy the sight of green and gold this spring, or ask your friendly Guides in the Visitor Information Centre exactly where you can find some wattles.

September 2024