Tree ID please

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Araminta
Araminta's picture
Tree ID please

Saw this beautiful tree today, but can't find it on line. Any idea what it is called? If you know, can you tell me if it is fast growing? I'm looking for trees that start flowering soon after they have been planted. I'm not patient enough to wait for years, my birds want nectar as soon as possibledevil

Woko
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Hi Araminta. This is Pincushion Hakea Hakea laurina from WA. I recommend you avoid it like the plague - unless you move to the eastern part of the south coast of WA where it's indigenous. Because of its invasiveness it wrecks native bushland outside of its natural range, especially in higher rainfall areas. And it tends to die out in drier areas. It is fairly fast growing.

I recognise that you're impatient for anything you plant to flower & flood your garden with flocks of nectar-devouring birds. But keep in mind that evolution was extremely patient in providing you with the indigenous plants in your natural bushland. That patience needs to be rewarded through your planting of indigenous species. Also, your birds, if they could give thanks, would thank you for planting the species with which they have evolved.

timmo
timmo's picture

That's really interesting, Woko.

I had no idea it was likely to be invasive. In looking up about this I found it listed as invasive in the Adelaide Hills, yet the GrowMeInstead site lists it as a recommended alternative native plant in Victoria (though I'm not sure what it's alternative to).

Interestingly looking further into this, a number of hakeas have proved invasive in other parts of the world (Europe, Sth Africa, NZ) particularly H. sericea, H.laurina, H. drupacea, H. gibbosa, H.salicifolia  and H. prostrata.

This link is the most authoritative I can find, which suggests it is an environmental weed in parts of Victoria too.

I know I have tried to be careful about not propagating and selling potentially invasive native species here (particularly some members of the Acacia family), so I will keep this in mind about these Hakeas.

Cheers
Tim
Brisbane

Woko
Woko's picture

I admire & thoroughly support your approach, Tim. I've had both Hakea laurina & Hakea sericea at my place (planted by the previous owners) & I've had to do some eradication. The Hakea sericea plants seem to have died out & the Hakea laurina plants are following suit but if & when we get a fire through here I hate to think of what might happen with the regeneration of these species.

For me it demonstrates how careful we have to be with what we plant to attract birds. So much of our bushland quality has been degraded because of weeds. And it grieves me no end to see housing developments replacing natural bushland & then, to rub it in, both the developers & the new home owners plant all sorts of things that are weedy &/or not local to the area. There are wonderful opportunities everywhere to rectify this situation.

Araminta
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Very interesting !!!!! I will have to investigate a bit more, before I might (???) plant one, as I live next to a State Forest. I saw this one at Coolart Wetlands, very well managed by Parks Victoria. It was a lone standing tree in a fairly open paddock. But I have not seen any others in the Park. But I better not plant one thenwink It's just one of the most gorgeous trees I have seen around.

I have to say, we are having great difficulties to pull out all the Acacia seedlings that pop up everywherecrying

I will have a look at the leaflet Cardinia Shire hand out to all the residents with the rate notice, it is 7 pages showing pictures of all the environmental plants in our area, and how to ID them and eradicate.

M-L

Woko
Woko's picture

Let's hope the good management of Parks Victoria extends to the eradication of that Hakea laurina, Araminta.

Yes, they are a very attractive plant so it's no wonder that people like planting them. If only they knew of & appreciated the dangers!

Do you know which Acacia seedlings are prolifically germinating in your garden? If they're a local species you might want to consider retaining at least some of them. Bronzewings & other pigeons love Acacia seeds & I think there are some bird species that feed on the wasp larvae that are related to Acacia galls. And some Acacias have borers which provide good bird tucker as is confirmed by your photo of the yellow-tailed black cockatoo ripping off bark to get to borers. 

Araminta
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I will look into it Woko. The little ones that pop up everywhere are the ones the Cockatoos ripping the bark off. I will take some photos of them, but I think they are one the council's environmental weeds list. Our council is very good in regards to anything like this.

M-L

Woko
Woko's picture

Eeeeeeeeeeeeexcellent, Araminta. There's a good chance that if those Acacia seedlings are weeds then they're Golden Wreath Wattle Acacia saligna from WA or Flinders Ranges Wattle Acacia iteaphylla from SA, both incredibly invasive species wreaking havoc in many places outside their natural range. If you can post a shot or two I'll be interested to see what they are (if I can identify them).

Araminta
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Here is what they look like. As I said , they pop up everwhere. If I would let them grow, you wouldn't be able to find the house in a few yearswink

M-L

Woko
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Hi Araminta. I've fairly confident that this is Silver Wattle Acacia dealbata. If so then it's local to your area & not a weed but I suggest you have it identified by a specialist at your council or landcare group. In a relatively high rainfall area (such as yours) & without much competition from surrounding trees it will proliferate & I can see why you would want to control its numbers, especially near your house. I believe borers like this species so it's little wonder the yellow-tailed black cockatoos like it.

Araminta
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I think you are right in thinking it's indigenous to our area, they are everywhere in the bush around here. The other problem with them is, they don't seem to live for a long time, and fall over without warning. I will ask a friend who knows a lot about trees. Thanks Wokoyes

M-L

GregL
GregL's picture

I don't think that is silver wattle, we have a lot of silver wattle round here.

Araminta
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I will take some photos of a mature tree tomorrow, it's dark outside right now.

M-L

Araminta
Araminta's picture

Here they come:

M-L

Woko
Woko's picture

Hi Greg. I think there are a number of Acacias which are commonly known as silver wattle. Can you get the botanical name of the species you're referring to? Or post a photo so that someone can identify it?

Hi Araminta. Many Acacia species are short-lived & fall over. (Keep a good watch out!) Their role is to quickly fix nitrogen in the soil to pave the way for other native species to regenerate.

I'm unfamiliar with the bark of Acacia dealbata but I note the sap oozing from the trunk in your photo. The sap attracts Australian Admiral butterflies &, in winter, possums. Birds, of course, feed on the butterfly larvae, as well as the seeds of the tree. Marvellous how it all fits together, isn't it?

GregL
GregL's picture

The silver wattle in my area is A. dealbata. The seedlings don't have those entire phyllodes in Araminta's seedling photos. Also they are more grey-green rather than the bright green in the photos. There are a few acacias with bipinnate foliage, maybe Araminta's trees are green wattles.

Araminta
Araminta's picture

To photo N1 in post 9, my friend said:

Blackwood and Silver wattle acacia melanoxylon and acacia dealbata.

I don't understand that, because they are not two different seedlings, they grow on the same plant. When the tree gets bigger it only looks like a silver wattle.

M-L

Woko
Woko's picture

Greg, where are you located? As far as I know Acacia dealbata extends nearly to the NSW border with Queensland & Green Wattle or Sydney Green Wattle Acacia decurrens extends as far south as around Bega, NSW, but certainly not to Araminta's location in Victoria. Is it likely she would be dealing with a large number of Acacia dealbata seedlings in her area?

Araminta, unless I'm mistaken, your friend is confusing the juvenile leaves of the seedling which I believe is Acacia dealbata with the adult leaves of Blackwood Acacia melanoxylon which is also local to you.

As ever, I'm poised & ready to stand corrected on all or any counts.

GregL
GregL's picture

After googling a bit I think the seedlings pictured are not from the adult tree pictured. the seedlings are probably blackwood wattle A. melanoxylon but the adult is probably Silver wattle A. dealbata. The seedlings are not silver wattle because you can see the adult leaves forming. Calling the seedlings blackwood is just a guess, there will be a few species that behave like that.

Araminta
Araminta's picture

I asked my friend again, he says: Seedlings are blackwood, adult is silver wattle. I have one enormous blackwood tree infront of the house.

Next question, should I let the seedilings grow in some parts of my property?

M-L

timmo
timmo's picture

The seedlings pictured are definitely not from the adult tree pictured.

The seedlings shown have those small true leaves (about 1cm long), which quickly change to the large phyllodes (more than 10cm long)you can see. Some of the phyllodes in the pictures still have the true leaves on the end of them. These will be the final "leaves" on a full size tree.

On the second set of pictures, you can tell it is a different species of wattle, as the size of the final leaves or phyllodes is not the large phyllodes of the seedlings.

OK, so both of your posts above seem right - Acacia melanoxylon with the large green phyllodes (called black wattle for the trunk/bark I believe) and Acacia dealbata with the small silvery foliage.

Cheers
Tim
Brisbane

Woko
Woko's picture

Hi Araminta. Both A. melanoxylon & A. dealbata are local to your area so there is no harm in allowing their seedlings to grow wherever you think is appropriate on your property.

Araminta
Araminta's picture

Thanks so much everyoneyes, I will now make sure I let some of them grow in some areas

Speaking about trees, I've just come home from doing some shopping. They are working on a road between Gembrook and Cockatoo, (putting some tar on the shoulders next to the road). They were cutting down one of the most beautiful Gumtrees in the area, big and healthy. Every time we drove past it in the evening sun, my husband and I slowed down to admire it. Driving past this morning, watching them cutting of branches, was hurting me as if they were cutting limbs of me. When I came back 2 hours later, there was only the trunk left, and this strong , beautiful tree was only a pile of wood, like strong arms and legs neatly piled up.

I can't find the right words to even describe how I felt. They had killed a proud tree.

I was the first car that was stopped while some of the branches came down, I wished I had taken a different road. I'm not ashamed to say, I had tears running down my face, when I said, I'm so sorry tree , I wish I could helpcrying

M-L

Woko
Woko's picture

The almighty car takes precedence over trees in our society. It beggars belief that rather than have speed restrictions where there is roadside native vegetation authorities still destroy the vegetation. When authorities offer this sort of  modelling to young people can we expect the latter to behave appropriately? Leadership by example is sorely needed.

Araminta
Araminta's picture

To me there was no obvious reason to cut this tree down, it was at least 5m outside the bitumen. It was not going to fall down, it was surrounded by Messmates that drop branches more often than any other trees.

I think , whoever wants to cut trees down should have to hang a visible notice on the tree (for some weeks), so people have the possibility to present their objection, and who ever issues a permit will have to present the case why they want to cut down trees, to justify their action.

I think, I have said it before, trees are not owned by councils, they belong to all of us, and we should all feel responsible for them.

M-L

pacman
pacman's picture

In many council areas you need a DA to cut a tree down and sometimes even to trim a tree.

Is this the case in your area? and if so did the Council follow the process?

Peter

Araminta
Araminta's picture

In my area the roadside is under Vic Roads. I did some more investigating, they can justify pretty much anything by claiming to look after the safety of road users. In this case they are even going to install guardrails , and the tree was outside of those. It was a beautiful , healthy Mountain Ash.

I should have paid more attention to the cross that was placed on the tree, that should have alerted me to the fact the tree was going to be cut down. In future I will pay more attention to those crosses, a cross means “death of a tree” I feel bad about not noticing the cross.

M-L

Woko
Woko's picture

What's happened to the Mountain Ash is very sad, Araminta, not to mention shameful, disgraceful & reprehensible. However, it's important to be a little more forgiving of yourself, I suggest, & not to allow the tree destroyers to distract you from your actions in conserving native vegetation. The more you beat yourself over the head about not noticing crosses on trees the less time & energy you'll have for taking up issues with authorities - not to mention for noticing crosses on condemned trees. Focus your grief, if that's not a contradiction.

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