Appearance
It is a fast-growing evergreen tree or shrub growing up to 30 m tall, typically a pioneer species after fire.The leaves are bipinnate, glaucous blue-green to silvery grey, 1–12 cm long and 1–11 cm broad, with 6–30 pairs of pinnae, each pinna divided into 10–68 pairs of leaflets; the leaflets are 0.7–6 mm long and 0.4–1 mm broad.
The flowers are produced in large racemose inflorescences made up of numerous smaller globose bright yellow flowerheads of 13–42 individual flowers.
The fruit is a flattened pod 2–11.5 cm long and 6–14 mm broad, containing several seeds. Trees generally do not live longer than 30 to 40 years, after which in the wild they are succeeded by other species where bushfires are excluded.
Naming
There are two subspecies:⤷ ''A. dealbata'' subsp. ''dealbata''. Low to moderate altitudes. Tree to 30 m; leaves mostly 5–12 cm long.
⤷ ''A. dealbata'' subsp. ''subalpina'' Tindale & Kodela. High altitudes in the Snowy Mountains. Shrub to 5 m tall; leaves mostly 1.5–8.5 cm long.
In moist mountain areas, a white lichen can almost cover the bark, which may contribute to the descriptor "silver". The Latin specific epithet ''dealbata'' also means "covered in a white powder".
Uses
The Ngunnawal people of the ACT used the bark to make coarse rope and string, the resinous sap for glue or to mix with ash to make poultices, the timber for tools, and the seeds to make flour.The timber is useful for furniture and indoor work, but has limited uses, mainly in craft furniture and turning. It has a honey colour, often with distinctive figures like birdseye and tiger stripes. It has a medium weight, and is similar to its close relative blackwood, but of lighter tone without the dark heartwood.
The leaves are sometimes used in Indian chutney.
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