Gold Dust Wattle

Gold Dust Wattle (Acacia acinacea) is a fast-growing native wattle that forms a wide-spreading shrub, usually 2m to 3m tall and up to 3m wide. Small blue-green leaves stay neat and unobtrusive through the warmer months, then from winter into spring bright, deep yellow pompom flowers cover the long stems. It is a tough source of fast colour for native and wild gardens.

Why you'll love it

• Fast colour. It grows quickly, and from winter into spring the stems are strung with deep yellow pompoms, so heavy that they give the plant a weeping look.
• Neat foliage the rest of the year. Small round to oval blue-green leaves keep the shrub tidy in the warmer months.
• Built for dry, poor ground. It tolerates frost and drought and copes with poor, rocky soil, which suits low rainfall gardens once it is established.
• Wildlife friendly. Birds eat the seed, and the dense branches give them shelter.
• A good windbreak. Rugged and wind tolerant, it holds up on exposed sites and is fine planted around eucalypts.

Where it works best

Windbreaks and screens. Plant 2m apart in a row for an informal windbreak. At that spacing the wide plants merge into a loose, flowering barrier.

Native and wild gardens. Use it as a feature shrub among eucalypts, correas and native grasses, where the winter flowers bring colour to the cooler months.

Poor soils and revegetation. It is a good pioneer for sandy, gravelly or stony ground and for revegetation plantings, and seed-eating birds will visit.

Growing Gold Dust Wattle in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun. It comes from sandy, gravelly eucalypt woodland across the south-east, from the Mount Lofty and Flinders ranges to Victoria and New South Wales, so it suits warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and dry inland gardens. It does not seem to like high humidity, so test it in humid districts before planting widely.

Soil. Well drained sandy, clay or loamy soil. It self-seeds, as many native acacias do, so avoid planting it near underground pipes.

Water and feed. Keep it mulched and watered through its first 12 weeks or so, and shelter young plants from frost. Once settled it is reliable in dry gardens and low rainfall areas. Apply a slow release native fertiliser after pruning to promote healthy growth.

Pruning. A light prune after flowering keeps it tidy. Cut only into leafy growth, because wattles rarely recover from cutting into old bare wood, and remember they are relatively short-lived shrubs.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Gold Dust Wattle as tube stock, a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly, and in 140mm pots in packs of 10. Tube stock is supplied by our grower and is not always available. When it shows as sold out, the grower has none at the moment, and the notify button on the page emails you the day it is back. Plant out in autumn or spring so the roots are settled before the extremes of summer or winter.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Acacia care guide for growing wattles in Australia
• Browse the wattle range
• Native plants with yellow flowers for your garden
• Plants for windbreaks

Common questions

How far apart should I plant Gold Dust Wattle?

Plant 2m apart for a windbreak or screen. For a single feature shrub, allow at least 3m on every side because the plant can spread that far.

Does it like humid climates?

Not especially. It comes from drier south-eastern woodland and does not seem to like high humidity, so it suits dry gardens best. In humid areas, try it in a sunny, airy position with excellent drainage.

Will it self-seed?

Yes, like many native wattles. Keep it away from bushland and underground pipes, and pull up unwanted seedlings while they are small.