Acacia decurrens (Green Wattle)

Native to east-central and southeastern New South Wales, Australia, this evergreen tree can reach about 50 feet tall. It grows rapidly and bears fragrant golden-yellow flowerheads in large sprays; in Australia, flowering occurs in late winter and spring. Its young branches have prominent wing-like ridges, a useful distinguishing feature. The bark provides tannins used in leather tanning, and the wood is used for fuel and poles. It has naturalized in Victoria and Tasmania and is invasive in South Africa, where it colonizes grasslands, roadsides and watercourses. Photographed in Ipiales, Colombia.