Brisbane Golden Wattle (aka Fringed Wattle)

Description:

Acacia fimbriata, commonly known as Brisbane golden wattle or fringed wattle (because of the microscopic hairs along the phyllodes), is a member of the plant family Fabaceae. It really depends where you are as to which common name applies, but regardless, this is a beautiful wattle species. Acacia fimbriata is a large shrub (or tree) and grows 6–7 metres (20–23 ft.) tall. This is a very hardy species that is well-adapted to extremes. Native to coastal and tableland districts of New South Wales and southern Queensland. It can tolerate extremes of frost, snow, drought, flood, and fire. Wattle is a quintessential Australian plant. PS: This spotting is early in the flowering season and we are currently in drought, but check out these magnificent blooms from a previous spotting. Flowering was well underway, and the season was lush: https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/41...

Habitat:

Spotted at Lake Manchester, a freshwater reservoir west of Brisbane. It is located in Brisbane Forest Park, an area of dense native bushland and subtropical rainforest. This area was well-shaded by large trees, and was quite cool when compared to other sections of the track. This species favours moist sites near streams and on margins of light rainforest, also occurs on hillsides as an understory in eucalypt woodland or open forest. That's definitely true in the case of this spotting.

Notes:

Every year it's the same thing - I am amazed at how much wattle there is in the Australian bush, and it hides in broad day light. So inconspicuous for most of the year as just a plain-looking tree or shrub that blends in with its surrounds, it suddenly explodes into life in a mass of brilliant yellow colour that seems to be everywhere, and with so many different species. It is beautiful to watch it transform the Australian landscape each year, flowering from June to about early November.