California Invasive Plant Council

Acacia longifolia

Common names: Sydney golden wattle

Acacia longifolia (Sydney golden wattle) is a summer-blooming shrub or tree in the pea family (Fabaceae) that is native to Australia. It is variable in size and has been cultivated as an ornamental. Its leaves are leathery and strap-like, finger-wide and long, with parallel veins and have a conspicuous basal gland with no resinous margins. Flowers are yellow and arranged in short spikes in leaf axils. This Acacia is a prolific seeder that can form large seed banks; long-term control is difficult if populations are left to spread. As of this posting, it has been reported in California’s coastal counties from Sonoma County south to San Diego. Outside of California, Sydney golden wattle has become invasive in other parts of Australia (Victoria, New South Wales), New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, Portugal and Brazil. 

Cal-IPC Rating: Watch

CDFA Rating: None?

Explanation of CDFA ratings

• A – A pest of known economic or environmental detriment and is either not known to be established in California or it is present in a limited distribution that allows for the possibility of eradication or successful containment.
• B – A pest of known economic or environmental detriment and, if present in California, it is of limited distribution.
• C – A pest of known economic or environmental detriment and, if present in California, it is usually widespread.
• D – An organism known to be of little or no economic or environmental detriment, to have an extremely low likelihood of weediness, or is known to be a parasite or predator.
• Q – An organism or disorder suspected to be of economic or environmental detriment, but whose status is uncertain because of incomplete identification or inadequate information.
• * – An asterisk next to the rating indicates that a plant is included in the CCR Section 4500 list of California State Noxious Weeds.
• -* – This plant is included in the CCR Section 4500 list of California State Noxious Weeds, but is otherwise not rated.

More details

Assessment(s)

Plant Risk Assessment - An evaluation of the potential for a plant to be invasive in California.

Weed Management Notes

Cal-IPC Newsletter Articles

• Planting right with PlantRight in 2020. Burger, Jutta. Vol 28, Issue 1

Cal-IPC Symposium Presentations

Presentations are linked where available. Where a presentation is not available, find more information by reading the abstract in the Cal-IPC Symposia Archive.

• How soil microbes drive and respond to plant invasions in Mediterranean ecosystems: Insights from Australian acacias. Le Roux, Johannes (2021)
• The role of soil bacterial mutualisms in legume invasion in California. Klock, Metha; Harms, Kyle; Thrall, Peter; Barrett, Luke (2020)

Other Acacia longifolia Information

• CalPhotos - Images of plants taken mostly in California.
• Calflora - Distribution map and records of this species in California.
• CalWeedMapper - Distribution map of this species in California with ability to determine regional priorities.
• EDDMapS - Distribution of this species in North America.
• GBIF - Global distribution information.
• Jepson Interchange - Information on this plant's taxonomy, biology, and distribution from UC Berkeley's Jepson Herbarium.
• USDA PLANTS Database - Information on identification and distribution, with links to websites in individual states.
• The Plant List - Global taxonomic resource and collaborative clearinghouse from Kew Gardens, the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Missouri Botanic Garden and others.

Additional photos