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Acacia mearnsii
Also called Green Wattle, Late Black Wattle, Tan Wattle, Wattle
Black wattle (Acacia mearnsii) is a fast-growing, erect tree or spreading shrub from south-eastern Australia, grown for tannin and firewood and often invasive outside its native range. Its key to growing it is full sun and tolerance of many soils, with its strong spread and weedy habit needing control.
Acacia mearnsii, commonly known as black wattle, late black wattle or green wattle, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is usually an erect tree with smooth bark, bipinnate leaves and spherical heads of fragrant pale yellow or cream-coloured flowers followed by black to reddish brown pods. In some other parts of the world, it is regarded as an invasive species.
Leuco-fisetinidin, a flavan-3,4-diol (leucoanthocyanidin) and a monomer of the condensed tannins called profisetinidins, can be extracted from the heartwood of A. mearnsii.
Acacia mearnsii grows in open forest, woodland or grassland in gullies or on hillside in New South Wales south from Central Mangrove along the coast and tablelands, including in the Australian Capital Territory. It is widespread in Victoria and Tasmania and also occurs in South Australia south of Naracoorte. It has been naturalised in parts of New South Wales, the Mount Lofty Ranges and the south-west of Western Australia. The species has also been introduced to North America, South America, Asia, Europe, Pacific and Indian Ocean islands, Africa, and New Zealand. In these areas it is often used as a commercial source of tannin or a source of firewood for local communities.
The Ngunnawal people of the Australian Capital Territory use the gum as food and to make cement (when mixed with ash), and to ensure a supply of sap, the bark was cut in the autumn. The bark was also used to make coarse rope and string, and used to be infused in water to make a medicine for indigestion.
Jam wattle · Mulga · Acacia aneura var. major · Mulga · Earleaf acacia · Cootamundra wattle · Gidgee · Bower wattle · Cole's Wattle · Small Philippine acacia · Knife acacia · Silver Wattle
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Acacia mearnsii by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
