Acacia polyacantha

Acacia polyacantha

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Common Names

White-stemmed Thorn (english)
Witstamdoring (afrikaans)
tshikwalo (venda)
mooka, mpho-kamagwa (n. sotho)
xigatlu, nkowankowa (tswana)
umnga (xhosa)

Taxonomy

Genus Acacia
Species polyacantha
SA Plant Number 180
Basionym Acacia polyacantha

Description

Acacia polyacantha (=Senegalia Polyacantha) is a fairly hardy, deciduous tree adds all-year-round beauty to a garden with its seasonal changes, from the pale, creamy, flaking bark on the stems that glow in the winter sunshine, to the spikes of glistening silver flowers in spring. 

Added to this is the coolness of the dense bright-green, soft feathery leaves in summer, which turn dull olive-green in autumn before they drop. A truly spectacular tree that is fast-growing.

Paired hooked thorns vary in colour from brown to black and young branches are covered in hairs. The flowers are borne from September to December. Straight, flat brown pods hang on the tree from March to October.

Plant as a single specimen or as a beautiful avenue tree. It is a host to the larvae of various moth species and wood is believed to have both medicinal and magical properties. Protect young plants against frost.

It thrives in both well-drained and clayey soils in sun or semi-shade.

Size: up to 15m

Wildlife

Moths:

Host plant to various moth species

Uses

Distribution

Limpopo

Habitat:
Wooded Grassland

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