Silver wattle is a fast-growing evergreen tree or shrub with feathery, fern-like leaves. In late winter to early spring, it is covered with cream-to-bright-yellow blooms. The bark is smooth grey-brown, often peppered with evenly-spaced lines of small circular holes from red-breasted sapsuckers (a species of native woodpecker).

Control Considerations

Silver wattle is a member of the pea family (Fabaceae) from Australia and Tasmania. Like other plants in this family, silver wattle changes soil chemistry by fixing nitrogen. The plant’s fallen leaves may have allelopathic effects that prevent the growth of native understory plants.

Plants grow readily after fire, and easily resprout after being cut. They spread via seeds and rhizomes (roots).

Silver wattle favors disturbed places in coastal prairies, riparian areas, and coniferous forests.

Two other invasive Acacia species found in Mendocino County are golden wattle (Acacia longifolia) and blackwood acacia (Acacia melanoxylon).

Bottom left: Silver wattle acacia bark with sapsucker holes.

Bottom left Center: Silver wattle’s pea-like seed pods.

Bottom center: Close-up of bloom.

Bottom right Center: Bipinnate (feathery) leaves. 

Bottom right: Fine, silvery hairs on twigs.

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