Acacia baileyana x Acacia dealbata

Cootamundra Wattle x Silver Wattle (Hybrid) at Aranda, ACT

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Identification history

Acacia baileyana x Acacia dealbata	7 May 2023	natureguy
Acacia baileyana x Acacia dealbata	6 May 2023	natureguy
Acacia baileyana	6 May 2023	MichaelMulvaney
Acacia baileyana	6 May 2023	CarbonAI
Acacia baileyana	6 May 2023	lbradley

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3 comments

lbradley wrote:

6 May 2023

I know some of these sightings are difficult to differentiate, especially if I'm not giving the best photos.
I have a question. Paul Downey has given an invasiveness rating of Noxious or High Risk Weed or Pest to acacia baileyana but only Minor Weed or Pest to the Acacia baileyana x Acacia dealbata hybrid. Does anyone know why? I'm finding more hybrid than pure baileyana. At some point do we throw up our hands and give up hope of maintaining pure dealbata? Does the hybrid become infertile? I can't imagine that it does.

lbradley wrote:

6 May 2023

Also, how do I start a collection for my weed photos? Can I have a personal collection or are they all community collections?

natureguy wrote:

7 May 2023

In my experience the hybrid isn't that common, but I imagine at more disturbed urban sites like this where Cootamundra has invaded a lot into bushland that also has Silver, there is probably a stronger (almost over) representation of hybrid plants. At other more undisturbed sites like my place at Wamboin, where Cootamundra Wattle has not really established (a few plants only), there is plenty of pure Silver Wattle. The extent of the hybridisation probably suggests that the two species are not very strongly divergent from each other. I guess its hard to rank the invasiveness of the hybrids as well since the Silver Wattle parent is a local species. A complicated issue which will likely become more prevalent as Cootamundra Wattle continues to establish itself in the local area

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