Acacia mearnsii (Black Wattle)

Native to southeastern Australia, this fast-growing evergreen tree has finely divided foliage and fragrant pale yellow to cream flowerheads in broad sprays. In Australia, it flowers in spring. Its tannin-rich bark is an important commercial source of leather-tanning extracts and wood adhesives; the wood also supplies paper pulp, poles and fuel. Hard-coated seeds can remain viable for many years, and heat can stimulate germination, helping populations regenerate after fire. It is invasive in South Africa, where dense stands spread through grasslands, forest gaps and watercourses. Photographed in the department of Magdalena, Colombia.