Queensland Silver Wattle
Acacia podalyriifolia
Report if seen anywhere on Maui
Known from and potential habitat
Native to Queensland, Australia, this wattle species can invade a variety of habitats in Hawaii.
Species Info General
Queensland silver wattle, or Acacia podalyriifolia, is native to Queensland, Australia. Used both as a garden ornamental and a forestry tree, this tree escaped cultivation to become a pest in areas around Australia. The biological characteristics that make Queensland silver water a nice ornamental also help it invade ecosystems: it flowers by the second year and can thrive in a variety of habitats–any of those found in Hawaii. On Maui, Queensland silver wattle is known from several residential plantings in Kula, Haiku, and Wailuku.
PEST WATCH: Queensland silver wattle is not established on Maui or Molokai. If this plant is seen anywhere on Maui or Molokai, report at 643PEST.org.
Attribution: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0
Identification/Description
- A tall shrub or small tree which reaches about 5 m in height by a similar spread.
- Leaf stalks silvery grey, oval, and 20-30 mm long.
- Flowers occur in ball-shaped clusters in the axils of the phyllodes and have a golden yellow color.
Impacts
- Well-suited to a variety of climates, potential to invade every forest type in Hawai’i.
- A pest in dry scrub and woodland of Victoria, Australia, where it is planted as an ornamental garden plant and street tree (Carr et al. 1992, Blood et al. 1998). Considered a threat to one or more vegetation types there (Carr et al. 1992).
- Relatively quick-growing tree, flowers by the second year (ASGAP 2001).
On Maui
Known from residential plantings in Upcountry, Haiku, and Wailuku. No active surveys. Report at 643pest.org if seen anywhere on Maui.
Control info/Info on what MISC does about it
- Coming Soon!
