Acacia redolens

Vanilla-scented wattle, Vanilla-Scented Wattle

Family: Fabaceae · Type: shrub · Not Native

Vanilla-scented wattle is a naturalized shrub found in coastal California regions including central Coast, southern Coast, and Peninsular Ranges, typically in disturbed areas and occasionally cultivated along highways at elevations below 200 meters. Flowering from February to May, this plant produces light yellow flowers in small heads that are roughly equal in size to its leaves. Growing as a small shrub to 5 meters tall with slightly angled twigs, it features distinctive resinous branches that release a vanilla scent when crushed. Its simple leaves are oblanceolate, 4 to 7 centimeters long and 5 to 13 millimeters wide, with 5 to 10 somewhat prominent longitudinal veins. The fruit is a dark brown, sickle-shaped pod 3 to 6 centimeters long with a distinctive cream-white seed aril forming a cap.

Habitat: Uncommon. Disturbed areas; occasionally cultivated along highways and for land reclamation

Bloom period: Feb-May

Elevation: < 200 m

Bioregions: CCo, SCo, PR

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.