What Plants Have DMT in Australia: A Comprehensive Guide

The question of what plants contain DMT in Australia leads to a surprising answer: Australia’s national floral emblem, the wattle, is a natural source of dimethyltryptamine (DMT). This discovery has significant implications for researchers, conservationists, and anyone interested in the intersection of Australian flora and psychedelic science. Consequently, understanding which species contain the compound, how much they contain, and the legal landscape surrounding them is essential.

The Primary Source: Australian Acacia (Wattle)

Australia’s native Acacia genus is one of the most widespread plant groups in the country. Western Australia alone is a centre of diversity, with 894 species naturally found across the state. However, the presence of DMT within these species is not uniform. Just as not all mushrooms are magic, not every wattle tree contains DMT.

Research has identified specific species that do contain the compound. A 2026 pilot study screened phyllodes (modified leaves) from specimens of 148 different Acacia species both natural and introduced to Western Australia. The research found that phyllodes from some species contained DMT, other tryptamines, β-carbolines, and phenylethylamines.

Dr Mitchell Low from NICM Health Research Institute at Western Sydney University is leading a study testing 855 species of Australian wattle for their psychedelic properties, including DMT and other compounds that may be used for cutting-edge psychiatric therapies. The study is expected to take five years.

“Most of them haven’t been tested,” says Dr Low. “We know the morphology of the species, but the chemical composition is still unknown”. In some of the wattle samples tested so far, the DMT is more potent than the Amazonian plants traditionally associated with the compound and used to make ayahuasca.

Documented DMT-Containing Species

Several Australian Acacia species have well-documented alkaloid content:

• Acacia maidenii: Contains approximately 0.6% alkaloids in the bark, of which one-third is N-methyltryptamine and two-thirds is DMT. This species grows in creek gullies and can be found in national parks.
• Acacia phlebophylla: Contains N,N-dimethyltryptamine according to research published in the Australian Journal of Chemistry.
• Acacia courtii: This rare species, found only in three general localities in coastal ranges of mid North Coast NSW, contains up to 2% alkaloids in the bark, mostly or entirely DMT, and up to 1.2% in leaves. Due to its restricted range, efforts at cultivation should be made rather than harvesting from wild plants.

Beyond Acacia: Other Australian Sources

While Acacia is the dominant source, DMT has also been found in other plants. Phalaris aquatica (Harding grass), an introduced pasture species, contains DMT and 5-MeO-DMT. One Australian cultivar (AQ-1) contains DMT at 1+%, while 5-MeO-DMT is present in trace amounts. The alkaloid content in Phalaris varies widely depending on environmental conditions, with total indole alkaloid levels reaching peaks of 0.14% in autumn.

Phragmites australis (common reed) also produces various pharmacological compounds including alkaloids (DMT, dimethyltryptamine) according to the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database.

The Concentration Reality: Why “Containing DMT” Is Not Enough

A critical distinction exists between a plant containing DMT and a plant containing enough DMT to be practically useful. Wattle contains only 0.5–1.5% DMT. This means extracting even a small amount requires processing large quantities of plant material.

As Daniel Perkins from the University of Melbourne explains, “We have actually moved to using synthetic DMT. We want this to be medicine that’s used by millions of people around the world. That would be very hard to do with a botanical product”.

The Conservation Concern

The presence of DMT in Australian wattle has created a conservation challenge. The first law enforcement attendance at a DMT clandestine extraction laboratory in Western Australia occurred in 2008. Since then, detection of this type of lab has steadily increased to the point where they are now the most frequently attended in WA.

DMT is typically extracted from the bark of locally occurring wattle trees through a relatively simple process. Dr Kelly Shepherd from the WA Herbarium notes, “From a conservation angle, ringbarking trees kills them. Even before you get to extracting an A-class drug, damaging native flora is an offence in itself”.

The Scientific Research: Australian DMT in Clinical Trials

The discovery of DMT in Australian wattle has led to groundbreaking clinical research. In a first-of-its-kind study published in Scientific Reports in November 2025, researchers from the University of Melbourne and the CSIRO developed a DMT-based formulation derived from wattle. The formulation was tested on nine healthy participants to assess its safety and psychoactive effect in a controlled environment.

“Participants reported effects that exceeded prior published psilocybin and LSD results,” said lead author Dr Daniel Perkins, head of the Psychedelics Research and Therapeutics Unit at the University of Melbourne. The next step is a randomised controlled trial involving participants with major depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder.

The Legal Status: Schedule 9 Prohibition

Despite its natural occurrence in Australian flora, DMT is a Schedule 9 prohibited substance under the Australian Poisons Standard. This classification makes its possession, use, manufacture, supply, and importation illegal across every state and territory.

The Office of Drug Control lists DMT as a controlled substance requiring both an import licence and an import permit. In New South Wales, possession carries a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment and/or a $2,200 fine. Supplying a commercial quantity (0.5 kg) carries a $385,000 fine and/or 20 years imprisonment. Supplying a large commercial quantity (2 kg) carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Conclusion

DMT is found in over 50 species of Australian Acacia, the iconic wattle trees that serve as the country’s national floral emblem. Documented species include Acacia maidenii (0.6% alkaloids, two-thirds DMT), Acacia phlebophylla, and Acacia courtii (up to 2% in bark). Beyond Acacia, Phalaris aquatica and Phragmites australis also contain DMT.

Australian researchers continue to map the country’s DMT resources, with studies screening hundreds of Acacia species for psychoactive compounds. However, the legal status of DMT remains firmly Schedule 9, and unauthorised extraction or possession carries severe penalties. The scientific exploration of Australia’s botanical riches continues, but it must do so within the boundaries of the law.