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More than 1,050 species of Acacia have evolved over the last 35 million years in Australia and they are all commonly referred to as wattles. Raspberry Jam Wattle is a native WA wattle species named after its strong aroma of the cut wood resembling raspberry jam. It’s also known as “jam tree”, “raspberry jam tree” or “fine leaf jam” in English, and Mangart in Noongar.
Description
Description
Raspberry Jam Wattle flowers heavily in Spring, providing an aromatic display of fuzzy golden rods while attracting bees and native birds to the garden. Seed pods follow in the Summer, which can be harvested from the tree or collected off the ground.
Habitat
Habitat
Raspberry Jam Wattle is endemic to Western Australia, found commonly in the southwest and through the Wheatbelt. This tree prefers a freely draining soil. It prefers full sun but will handle part shade, and tolerates drought, salt and frosts. Like nearly all Acacia species, Raspberry Jam Wattle is a nitrogen fixer, effectively ‘sucking’ nitrogen from the air and installing it in the soil around its roots. This provides food for surrounding plants, such as Quandong and Sandalwood, making it an excellent companion or host species.
Significance to Noongar Culture
Significance to Noongar Culture
Tradition Custodians experimented with and used acacias growing around them. Over the last 65,000 years or so, Aboriginal people used acacias for a very wide range of purposes: from food and medicines, to utensils such as digging sticks and barbs, weapons (clubs, shields, boomerangs, spear throwers, spear shafts and heads), for musical instruments such as clap sticks; firewood, ash, glues, string, dyes and waterproofing, sandals and head decorations, ceremonial items and seasonal signals.
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