Plants of the Merri - Acacia pycnantha
06th December 2025
Text and photographs by Chris Clarke
The Golden Wattle is our national floral emblem. It is a stunning small local tree, with distribution across South Eastern Australia. I reckon it should be grown more often, as it is glorious in flower, quick growing and excellent habitat for both insects and birds. It has a reputation for being short-lived (10–20 years), but, hey, just plant more every five years or so!
Like all Acacia, it is in the legume family, Fabaceae, and fixes nitrogen via nodules on its roots. This means it helps fertilise the soil and its foliage is high-protein food for insects. As an example of its insect magnetism, it is listed as a food plant for 12 different groups of moth larvae in the book, Caterpillars, moths and their food plants of Southern Australia, by Peter McQuillan. No other individual plant species are listed as often.
The Golden Wattle also attracts a variety of birds, not just those seeking insects in the foliage and flowers as it has a nectary on each phyllode. The leaves are actually flattened stems. This gland is also a useful identification feature – see photo. Ants and a variety of birds, including Silvereyes and several species of Honeyeaters and Thornbills, have been observed consuming this extrafloral nectar.1.
Flattened stem, Acacia pycnantha
Pictured below is a tree at my place in Thornbury with a bird bath underneath that lasted about 14 years, as well as a lovely form I found growing wild near Riddell’s Creek. Our great local indigenous nurseries stock this tree, but is also easy to grow from seed, available from a range of seed suppliers. I put seeds in a cup and pop in boiled water that has cooled down for a few minutes into the cup. Leave overnight and plant the seeds that have swelled.
Acacia pycnantha, author's garden, Thornbury.
Acacia pycnantha, growing wild, near Riddells Creek.
Acacia pycnantha.
1. Extrafloral nectaries and pollination of Acacia pycnantha benth by birds, VA Vanstone, DC Paton, Australian Journal of Botany (1988) 36 (5): 519-531. Held at State Library of Victoria