Little kooka wattle facts for kids

The little kooka wattle (scientific name: Acacia nanopravissima) is a special kind of shrub. It's part of the Acacia family, which includes many types of wattle trees. This plant only grows in a small part of southeastern Australia. This means it is endemic there, found nowhere else in the world naturally.

What Does the Little Kooka Wattle Look Like?

The little kooka wattle is usually a small shrub. It grows about 0.5 to 0.9 meters (about 1.5 to 3 feet) tall. Sometimes, it can even reach up to 1.2 meters (about 4 feet) high. Its branches are smooth, meaning they don't have any hairs.

This wattle has many green, crowded "leaves" called phyllodes. These phyllodes are not true leaves but flattened leaf stalks. They have a unique, uneven shape. Each phyllode is about 4 to 8 millimeters long and 3 to 8 millimeters wide.

When the little kooka wattle blooms, it's a beautiful sight! This happens between late August and early October. It grows round flower-heads that are bright golden in color. Each flower-head is made up of seven to nine tiny flowers.

Where Does the Little Kooka Wattle Live?

The little kooka wattle is native to a very small area. It lives in northeastern Victoria, near a place called Splitters Creek. You can find it growing in open forests. It prefers shallow soils that are based on sediment.

This special plant is only found in a tiny spot. It lives south of Wulgulmerang in East Gippsland. There is only one small group of these plants known. They grow in the upper part of the Little River, which flows into the Snowy River, on the Wombargo Range.