Photo credit: Sydney Golden Wattle / John Tann / CC BY 2.0
As we removed loads of Sallow Wattles from the reserve last working bee, I thought a post about these woody weeds would be apt!
Sallow Wattle is indigenous in forest and woodlands of East Gippsland and NSW, however populations around Melbourne, central and Northern Vic show invasive attributes.
Habitat: Grows in partial shade to full sun, tolerating a wide range of soil types, flowers in late
winter - spring.
Invasive Traits: Sallow Wattle increases soil fertility which can affect the growth of some indigenous species, they shade out groundflora species, crowd out shrubs and severly impede overstorey regeneration.
Reproduces by seed, which are dispersed by birds and ants.
Control: Seedlings and smaller plants can be hand pulled, be sure to remove the roots as they can reshoot. Older mature plants do not usually reshoot, so they can be ringbarked or cut down, remove and bag any semi ripe or ripe fruit first.
There are many wattles broadly similar to Acacia Longifolia varieties, becoming familiar with the leaves, flowers and pods is crucial before removing.
Reference: Bushland Invaders of South East Australia by Adam Muyt 2001
