Woolly wattle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wooly wattle |
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| Acacia lanigera illustrated in The Botanical Magazine in 1829. | |
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Acacia
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| Species: |
lanigera
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
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Acacia lanigera, also known as Woolly Wattle or Hairy Wattle, is a type of tree or shrub. It grows only in the southeastern parts of Australia. This plant is special because it is endemic to this area, meaning it's found nowhere else naturally.
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What Does the Woolly Wattle Look Like?
The Woolly Wattle can grow straight up or spread out. It usually reaches about 2 meters (6.5 feet) tall. Its leaves, called phyllodes, can be smooth or covered in fine hairs. These phyllodes are usually between 20 to 70 millimeters (about 1 to 3 inches) long and 2 to 8 millimeters (less than half an inch) wide.
Bright yellow, round flowers appear on the plant from May to October. These flowers grow where the leaves meet the stem. After the flowers, curved or coiled seedpods grow. These pods are covered with soft white hairs and can be up to 10 centimeters (about 4 inches) long.
How Scientists Name Plants
Scientists group plants into different types. For the Woolly Wattle, there are three main kinds, which scientists call varieties:
- Acacia lanigera var. gracilipes: This type grows near the Wallagaraugh River in southeastern New South Wales and Victoria.
- Acacia lanigera var. lanigera: This is the most common type of Woolly Wattle.
- Acacia lanigera var. whanii: This variety was first found in Skipton, Victoria by a person named William Taylor Whan.
Sometimes, what was thought to be a variety turns out to be its own species. For example, the variety venulosa is now known as a separate plant called Acacia venulosa.
Where Does the Woolly Wattle Grow?
The Woolly Wattle is found in several parts of Australia. You can see it growing in New South Wales, Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory.
The first time this plant was officially described was in 1825. A botanist named Allan Cunningham wrote about it in a book called Geographical Memoirs on New South Wales. He said it was "a shrub frequent on rocky barren ranges in the interior," meaning it often grew on rocky, dry hills inland.
Growing Woolly Wattle
If you want to grow a Woolly Wattle, it likes a sunny spot where the soil drains well. This plant is quite tough! It can handle cold temperatures, even frosts down to -7 degrees Celsius (19 degrees Fahrenheit). It's a good choice for places where plants don't get a lot of care, like along roadsides.
