Acacia dealbata
Silver wattle
(c) Jose Castro, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Shrub / Tree · Not Native
Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes
Acacia dealbata (Silver wattle) is a non-native California shrub / tree in the Fabaceae family, recognized by large tree size, silver-blue 2-pinnate leaves, and cream flowers distinguish it.
Silver wattle is a naturalized tree found in northern coastal California, central valley, central coast, San Francisco Bay Area, southern California, western Transverse Ranges, and southern California islands in disturbed areas and roadsides at elevations below 500 meters. Flowering from February to April, this tree produces pale yellow to cream flowers in racemes occasionally forming panicles with 11 to 30 heads. Growing to 30 meters tall with unarmed branches and silver-blue twigs that are short-hairy, it has distinctive 2-pinnate leaves with a silver-blue appearance. Its compound leaves feature 6 to 30 pairs of primary leaflets and 15 to 70 pairs of secondary linear leaflets, each small and narrow. The fruit is a flat, leathery pod 2 to 11 centimeters long, silver-blue in color and relatively straight.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 13 sympatric species; large tree size, silver-blue 2-pinnate leaves, and cream flowers distinguish it
Habitat and range
Habitat: Locally common. Disturbed areas, often roadsides
Elevation: < 500 m
California counties: Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, Marin, Santa Cruz, Butte, San Diego, Riverside, Santa Clara, Sacramento, Mendocino, Monterey, Santa Barbara, Sonoma, San Francisco, San Mateo, Ventura, Shasta, El Dorado, Solano, Alameda, Del Norte, Napa, Contra Costa, San Luis Obispo, Yolo, Stanislaus
Outside California: native to southeastern Australia
Bloom period
Acacia dealbata blooms Feb-Apr.
Conservation status
Cal-IPC Yes
How to tell it apart
vs Salix: Acacia has yellow ball-shaped flowers; Salix has catkins with small individual flowers and visible scales.; vs Paraserianthes: Acacia has simple blade-like leaves; Paraserianthes has twice-compound feathery leaves.; vs Eucalyptus: Acacia has yellow ball flowers; Eucalyptus has white to cream flowers with prominent stamens from a cap.; vs Vachellia: Acacia has simple blade-like leaves and no spines; Vachellia has feathery leaves and paired spines.; vs Quercus: Acacia has yellow fuzzy ball flowers; Quercus has separate male catkins and tiny female flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Acacia dealbata native to California?
No. Acacia dealbata is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Acacia dealbata bloom?
Acacia dealbata blooms Feb-Apr.
Where in California does Acacia dealbata grow?
Acacia dealbata occurs in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, Marin, Santa Cruz, Butte, San Diego, Riverside and other counties, at elevations of < 500 m.
What plant family does Acacia dealbata belong to?
Acacia dealbata is in the Fabaceae family, genus Acacia.
Is Acacia dealbata invasive in California?
Acacia dealbata is listed by Cal-IPC with an invasiveness rating of Yes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.