Candelabra Wattle

    (Acacia holosericea)

Also known as: Velvet wattle, Silky leafed wattle, Strap wattle

This very short lived wattle only grows to about 5 or 6 metres high with trunks to about 200mm diameter at best - most rarely get to more than about 3 metres high before they succumb to the grubs.

Candelabra wattle flowers profusely around July and produces masses of seed in its curling, tangled pods. The tree is often found covering acres of roadside verge after roadwork has spread the abundant seed.

The timber is very attractively coloured but is extremely unstable and will check like crazy no matter how you try to dry it. It is moderately heavy and machines OK but like many of the short-lived wattles, doesn't take to sanding well. On the upside, it takes a finish very nicely, the vase pictured below having just 3 coats of Kunos oil.

Rough-turned green and allowed to air dry, you can't help but notice the large crack that I filled with ebony dust in this piece - you would think that with a crack that wide the rest of the timber would be solid but there were also small cracks about every 5mm or so right around this once it dried.

The 'ball' was actually turned from both ends to remove the heart completely and leave it open enough that I thought it could dry without cracking - so much for that theory!!! The foot is turned from Gidgee.

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