Coastal Wattle

The wattle - elsewhere known as Acacia - is one of the key shrub and tree groups of Australia. They do exist elsewhere, too, but seldom that dominant. The type of wattle I mostly have seen, was the Coastal Wattle, Acacia sophorae. It does thrive as a large shrub in poor, coastal soils and areas exposed to bush fires. But contrary to gum trees, wattle does suffer from the fire. Burned trunks and branches do not recover anymore. But often, the plant survives anyway making new sprouts from the roots which were protected in the ground. At the picture on left, all the green-yellowish plant mass is wattle regrowth.