When you visit your local bushland areas during summer and early autumn , there is one particular wattle that is in flower . It is a pale yellow to cream coloured variety called flax-leafed wattle ( Acacia linifolia ).

It can be found extensively where conditions suit ; it prefers the sandier soils in open forest and is often found near rocky outcrops alongside bush tracks . This plant is generally small and slender , ranging from having a graceful

drooping habit to being straggly , as can be seen in the pictures . Its height can vary from one to four metres depending upon its situation in the forest . Mostly , the flowers tend to cluster towards the ends of branches .

At times , the perfume of this wattle can be quite strong , but it is nowhere near the strength of the spring flowering varieties . We usually associate wattle with the approach of spring as the brilliant fluffy balls of yellow start to appear

almost everywhere from August onwards .

The sometimes-overpowering perfume of the spring flowering wattles is most noticeable where there are many growing in close proximity to each other . It is also interesting to observe the variations in flower structure and colour of this wattle as they develop and eventually produce flat , oblong seed pods .

This plant can be grown in home gardens as it responds to careful pruning

to form a more compact shrub . It can even have a second flower flush in early winter .

There are numerous other small , almost insignificant wattles that can be found in flower , from late summer through winter , growing in a similar habitat to this month ’ s featured plant . Throughout the many bushland reserves of the local region , one of the large wattle family can be readily found in bloom somewhere at most times of the year .