bank catclaw

Acacia redolens Maslin

A vanilla scent is one of Acacia redolens’ most distinctive details. Its gray-green phyllodes, the leaf-like structures covering the branches, are described as fragrant in the Australian flora. The species has also traveled into cultivation, including roadside planting in the United States. WATTLE: Acacias of Australia, Acacia redolens (Cowan and Maslin)

Botanical name

Kew accepts Acacia redolens Maslin; Racosperma redolens (Maslin) Pedley is its homotypic synonym. Kew Plants of the World Online: Acacia redolens

Recognizing the plant

The phyllodes are usually narrow and broadest toward the tip, with several conspicuous lengthwise veins and rounded or blunt ends. The plant commonly makes a low, spreading dome, though occasional individuals grow more upright. Narrow-phyllode plants near Esperance that were once included in this species are now separated as Acacia bartlei. WATTLE: Acacias of Australia, Acacia redolens (Cowan and Maslin)

Bloom window

Western Australia

Yellow flowers are recorded from August to October in Western Australia, spanning late winter and spring. Western Australian Herbarium Florabase: Acacia redolens

Native range

This wattle is native to southern Western Australia. Florabase places it around salt-lake margins and saline depressions on soils ranging from sand to clay and loam. Its occurrence around these inland saline features connects the shrub with a distinctive part of southwestern Australia’s landscape. Kew records it as introduced in California and Arizona. Kew Plants of the World Online: Acacia redolens Western Australian Herbarium Florabase: Acacia redolens

Botanical sources

Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.