Acacia aspera, commonly known as rough wattle, is a spreading shrub which is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It grows to up to 2 metres high and has phyllodes which are 10 to 30 mm long and 2 –4 mm wide. The pale yellow to gold globular flowerheads appear singly or in groups of two in the axils of the phyllodes in July to September, followed by curved or coiled seed pods which are 20 to 70 mm long and 3 to 5 mm wide. Two subspecies are currently recognised: Putative hybrids between Acacia aspera and Acacia montana have been recorded in the Bendigo Whipstick region.