Shrub or tree 1.5–10 m high; branches sometimes pendulous. Bark corky, furrowed. Branchlets with scattered hairs to ±glabrous, sometimes pubescent. Stipular spines to 2 mm long, often inconspicuous, to 12 mm long on young plants. Leaves: petiole 0.4–1 cm long, pubescent above, mostly with a raised gland at base of lowest pair of pinnae; rachis 1.5–9 (–12.5) cm long, sparsely to moderately pubescent mainly above, eglandular; pinnae (3–) 4–15 (–25) pairs, 0.6–4.2 cm long; pinnules (6–) 15–25 (–30) pairs, oblong to narrowly oblong or elliptic to narrowly elliptic, mostly 1–3.7 mm long and 0.5–1.1 mm wide, obtuse, ±discolorous, ciliate usually only at base, with raised midvein below. Inflorescences simple, 1 or 2 (–3) in axils, or sometimes on a raceme-like shoot that extends with growth; peduncles 15–40 mm long, with involucel of bracts ½–⅔ way above base; heads globular, 13–20-flowered, whitish to cream-coloured, sometimes pale yellow. Pods narrowly oblong to linear or narrowly elliptic, straight-sided or slightly constricted between some or all seeds, flat or slightly raised over seeds, 3–15 cm long, 8–16 (–19) mm wide, firmly crustaceous to coriaceous, longitudinally and often reticulately veined, glabrous.
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A shrub or small tree. It grows 2-12 m tall.
Often occurs as a scattered understorey tree in grassy, open eucalypt woodland, as well as growing in open forest, Acacia woodland or sometimes shrubland, in clay, loam, sandy or stony soils, on plains or on valley floors, slopes and ridges in undulating to hilly country, and in skeletal soils on rocky slopes.
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A scattered understorey tree in grassy, open eucalypt woodland; open forest; Acacia woodland; shrubland, in clay, loam, sandy or stony soils on plains, valleys and slopes; in skeletal soils on rocky slopes; at elevations up to 350 metres.
It is a tropical plant. It grows up to 350 m above sea level.
In J.W. Turnbull (ed.), Multipurpose Australian Trees and Shrubs 112–113 (1986), there is an account of V. bidwillii (as Acacia bidwillii) before it was split into several species, while a more recent brief account is given in J.C. Doran & J.W. Turnbull (eds), Australian Trees and Shrubs: Species for Land Rehabilitation and Farm Planting in the Tropics 346 (1997). Young plants may be browsed by cattle, fide E. Anderson, Plants of Central Queensland 22 (1993).
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The roots of young trees are roasted and eaten.
Can be grown by seedlings. Seeds needs soaking.
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