Green and Gold

The one plant that has given Australia its "National Colours" is the wattle. Elsewhere in the world this plant is cultivated in nurseries and is known as the Acacia - which is the plant's correct name. Early Australians gave the yellow fluffy flowered shrub the name "Wattle" when they used the thin sticks mixed with mud for their "Wattle and daub" dwellings. I read that there are more than 700 different species of Wattle that range from ground cover to medium sized trees. They give a joyful bright yellow display in winter and early spring - and the pollen in the air is responsible for hayfever in lots of unfortunates! Colin included!

f/10 1/125 sec  ISO 100

Many wattle have tiny little yellow flower balls but the wattle I stopped to photograph has long flowers and blue grey leaves.
The sun on the flowers enhances the brilliance of the "green and gold" - wattle colours are usually described in this way even though the colours vary from very pale yellow to a deep gold and the leaves vary between emerald green and slate grey.

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In this area where I was using the camera there were wattles in the open and wattles scattered among eucalypts - this is an area that has been cleared for development and regrowth has been allowed.

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In an area that was maintained as a park for walking with areas of mown lawn, the trees (eucalypts and wattles) were in small clumps and had beautiful form.

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Bordering this area the scrub seemed to be quite dense but not very tall. This area was bright with the colour of the wattle too. This area I have photographed is in the Subtropics where there is a good average rainfall and a fair amount of humidity in the summer months.

The colour of the wattle seems richer in some areas of arid Australia - maybe to compensate for the cruel landscape!

AJ