Acacia dawsonii, commonly known as Poverty Wattle, is an evergreen shrub native to dry sclerophyll forests and grasslands in Eastern Australia. This erect shrub typically grows to a height of 0.5 to 4 meters (2 to 13 ft), with appressed branchlets that are hairy between resinous ridges. Unlike many plants, it has phyllodes—flattened leaf stems that function as leaves—rather than true leaves. The evergreen phyllodes are straight to slightly curved, very narrowly elliptic to linear, measuring 4 to 11 cm (1.6 to 4.3 in) in length and 2 to 5 mm (0.079 to 0.197 in) in width, with up to ten longitudinal veins. It produces golden yellow, globular flowers on short racemes from the leaf axils in spring, which are quite showy and attract pollinators.

Poverty Wattle is valued for its hardiness and ability to thrive in poor soils, making it a suitable choice for reclamation projects and as an ornamental in gardens with challenging conditions. It is also used for erosion control and as a windbreak due to its dense growth habit. In cultivation, it prefers full sun and can tolerate a range of soil types, provided they have good drainage. While it is relatively low-maintenance, it can be susceptible to root rot if overwatered.CC BY-SA 4.0