Wattle Acacia pycnantha

Golden wattle is the national floral emblem, and it flowers right on cue: dense fragrant golden balls through late winter and early spring, heavy enough to bend the branches down. The plant underneath is a fast growing large shrub or small tree with broad, drooping, sickle shaped phyllodes on arching stems. Its practical use in a garden or on a block is as a nurse plant, giving fast shelter and quick screening on dry ground while slower, longer lived natives establish underneath it.

Sharp drainage and a dry position

It comes from the drier country of the south east and that is where it performs: full sun, gravelly or sandy soil, sharp drainage, and very little water once established. Heavy, wet, poorly drained ground brings on root rot and a sudden collapse in the second or third summer, which is the usual explanation when a wattle dies overnight for no visible reason. Frost is not a problem for it. Humidity and permanent soil moisture are, so on the east coast give it the driest, most open ground you have. Plant small rather than large, since young acacias establish faster and anchor better than advanced stock.

The point buyers most often miss is lifespan. This is a fast, generous, short lived plant. Put it in as the nurse crop and you will be pleased with it; plant it as the permanent centrepiece of a garden and you will be disappointed within a decade or so. One further caution: it is native to south eastern Australia and has naturalised well beyond that range, including in Western Australia, so check local advice before planting it in quantity there or near bushland.

Golden wattle among the other two

Against Acacia floribunda, the difference is the flower and the silhouette: floribunda weeps and carries pale cream rods, while this stands more openly and carries bright gold balls with a strong scent. Against Acacia implexa, the difference is time: implexa flowers cream in summer and autumn and lasts far longer, which makes it the better shelterbelt tree, while pycnantha gives more display sooner and then goes. If you want winter gold and can accept replacing the plant, take this one. For a slower, longer lived native flowerer in the same bed, Grevillea Lilliane is the alternative, and the two together cover winter and the cooler months between them.

Tip pruning after the gold fades

Prune as soon as flowering finishes, tipping the growth back lightly to keep the crown compact and to slow seed set. Do not cut into bare old wood, since acacias reshoot from it poorly and a hard cut often kills the branch outright. Feeding is not required in most soils, and phosphorus rich fertiliser should be kept well away from the root zone. Mulch lightly with a coarse material, keeping it clear of the trunk, and water only through the establishment period. Stake only where the site demands it, tie loosely, and take the stake away after the first year, since a trunk held rigid never thickens the way a plant left to move does.

Choosing a size

This plant is available in 7 sizes, from 70mm up to 400mm, priced from $16.95 to $199.00 per plant. The size shown is the pot the plant arrives in, which is the rootball, not the height of the plant. The smaller pots hold younger plants that cost less each and establish quickly, which suits hedges, screens and mass planting where the plant count adds up. The larger sizes carry several more years of growth on the farm and give height and presence straight away, which is what you want for a single feature position or a screen that cannot wait. Not sure which to choose? Read our guide to Australian native trees.