Acacia longifolia aka Golden Rods

Acacia longifolia, also known as long-leaved wattle, is a fast-growing tree native to southeastern Australia. It can reach a height of 7-10m in just five to six years and has smooth, greyish bark and evergreen, glabrous phyllodes that are mostly straight with numerous longitudinal veins. The tree produces simple inflorescences between June and October in its native range, which occur singly or in pairs in the phyllode axils on stalks with a length of less than 2mm. The flower color derives from the organic compound kaempferol. Long-leaved wattle has a variety of uses, including preventing soil erosion, providing food (flowers, seeds, and seed pods), producing yellow and green dye (from the flowers and pods), and providing wood for various purposes. The tree's bark can also be used for tanning, primarily for sheepskin. In Tasmania, the ripening pods were roasted and the seeds removed and eaten. Long-leaved wattle is widely cultivated in subtropical regions of the world and is considered attractive, hardy, and suitable as a hedge plant or for screening. It is useful for securing uninhabited sand in coastal areas, primarily where there are not too many hard frosts. However, it is considered invasive in Portugal, New Zealand, and South Africa, and is classified as a weed in the southern region of Western Australia, where it has out-competed indigenous species. In Portugal, the species is considered highly invasive in sand dunes, and its cultivation is prohibited by law. In South Africa, the Pteromalid wasp Trichilogaster acaciaelongifoliae has been introduced from Australia to control the tree's spread. The effect on the trees has been described as drastic seed reduction (typically over 90%) by galling of reproductive buds, and indirect debilitation of the affected plant by increased abscission of inflorescences adjacent to the growing galls. The presence of galls also caused leaf abscission, reducing vegetative growth as well as reproductive output. Long-leaved wattle is also a super rare houseplant that needs regular watering to thrive. It does best in long-lasting, direct light and should be less than 1 foot from a window. It belongs to the Acacia genus and is native to Australia.