You might be walking through the Málaga region and spot a tree exploding with fluffy yellow balls. This is Acacia pycnantha. Most people simply call it the golden wattle. It looks very cheerful and bright against the blue Mediterranean sky. It is actually the national floral emblem of Australia. One might wonder what a proud Australian symbol is doing hanging around southern Spain.

A bit of a traveller

This plant was first described by a botanist named George Bentham in 1842. It originally comes from south eastern Australia. However it has turned out to be a very successful world traveller. It is grown all over the Mediterranean region now. It seems that the Spanish sun suits it just as well as the Australian outback. It grows so well here that it can sometimes be a bit too much for the local plants.

Fluffy yellow pom-poms

The flowers are the main event for this tree. They are tiny and gathered together in dense clusters that look like golden pom-poms. The name pycnantha actually comes from Greek words meaning dense flowers. When it is in full bloom the branches often bend under the weight of all that yellow. It is a very effective way to get attention from bees and tourists.

Not actually leaves

If you look closely at what you think are leaves you will be surprised. They are actually something called phyllodes. These are just flattened leaf stalks that have taken over the job of being a leaf. They are thick and leathery which helps the plant survive in hot and dry places. Nature likes to recycle parts and this tree is a master of efficient design.

More than just a pretty face

The golden wattle is not just there to look good in your holiday photos. In the past people used the bark to produce tannin. This was used for tanning leather. It has a very high concentration of the stuff. Some people also use the flowers to make perfume. It seems this plant is a bit of an overachiever in the botanical world.

A bit of an unwanted guest

While it looks lovely in a picture from Málaga some people are not its biggest fans. In some parts of the world it is considered a weed. It grows very fast and can survive fires quite easily. Once it gets into an area it is very hard to convince it to leave. It is basically the guest who shows up to your party with a loud yellow shirt and then refuses to go home.