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Acacia implexa, the Hickory Wattle, is a small to medium sized tree that will reach a height of 12 metres, often with a spreading and weeping habit.
It has a very large natural range and there are a range of leaf-forms observed; growing through the entirety of the NSW coast, tablelands and western slopes areas, as far west as Nyngan. It extends as far as Cairns, and as far west as towards Augathella in Queensland. It extends through most of Victoria with the exception of the far-west. It will naturalise and colonise outside of its home-range from planting and general seed dispersal, especially along road verges.
It will grow in dry sclerophyll woodlands and forests – often on alluvial to clay soils and other heavier substrates by sometimes found on sandy soils.
Bark is rough and greyish.
Australian Wattles at least, can be broadly placed into 1 of 3 recognisable groups:
This wattle belongs to Group 1.
Phyllodes are sickle-shaped to straight, and up to 20 centimetres long by up to 3 cm wide, with a small basal gland. Phyllodes shows a lot of variation across the natural range.
Acacia spp. produce small 5-merous flowers, with 5 very small petals partly-fused into a short tube which sits above a fused calyx. The stamens are the main feature which are produced in high numbers per flower (staminate flowers), surrounding a single style. In this species, thirty to fifty cream flowers are held in globular heads or clusters and these are carried in axillary racemes. The main flowering period is in summer with sporadic flowering at other times.
The pods, that follow the flowers, are curved, coiled and twisted.
In cultivation species could be used in windbreaks and woodlots.
Hickory Wattles are a versatile plant. It flowers when other wattles have finished. The foliage is used for dyeing cloth, the bark for tanning leather and the wood for furniture and tool handles. The species also produces excellent, long burning firewood. Crimson Rosellas are partial to the ripening seeds. A. implexa suckers and could be used for erosion control.
It is a very hardy plant and will last many years. Pruning occassionally likely results in better flowering over the following years. They can flower very nicely as the globular heads are typically larger than many other wattles.
Propagate from seed that should be soaked in boiling water before sowing.
The type specimen was collected in the early 1800’s in the “Ravines of Shoal Haven River, E. Coast” by Alan Cunningham.
Most wattles will die in a fire and regenerate from seed. This species can sucker from basal parts of trunks and lateral roots.
Acacia is a highly diverse genus, with over 1500 recognised species (placing it in the top-10 most-diverse plant genera) occurring in most continents except for Europe. Australia has about 970 spp., most of which are endemic. There are also about 10 exotic species. NSW has about 235 recognised species. Some species have become weeds in other states outside of their natural range (e.g., wattles from Western Australia into NSW and vice versa).
Acacia – from Greek Akakia – which refers to an Ancient Greek preparation made from one of the many species; the name of which derives from akis, meaning “thorn” – referring to the thorns of species in Africa.
implexa – Latin referring to “entangled” or “entwined” – referring to the seed pods forming a tangled mess when produced en masse.
This species is not considered to be at risk of extinction in the wild. It is very numerous in the wild.
NSW Flora Online (PlantNET) – Acacia implexa profile page https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Acacia~implexa
Australian National Herbarium – Acacia implexa profile page https://www.anbg.gov.au/acacia/species/A-implexa.html
Wrigley, J.W. & Fagg, M.I. (2001). Australian Native Plants – Propagation, cultivation and use in landscaping. 4th edition. New Holland Publishers, Pty. Ltd. Australia.