Vachellia schottii

Botanical Name

Vachellia schottii (Torrey) Seigler & Ebinger

Common Name(s)

  • Schott acacia

Synonyms

Legume Clades

Caesalpinioideae , Mimosoid Clade , Core Mimosoids , Parkia Clade , Vachellia

Native Geographic Range

  • Southwestern North America

IUCN Status

Growth Form

shrub

Cultivation Status in AZ

Uniquely cultivated by DELEP

Description

Drought- and cold-deciduous shrubs with wiry stems to 5 ft (1.5 m) high with smooth gray bark. The stems are usually armed with paired, short white spines at the nodes. The leaves are bipinnate with 1 pair of pinnae. There are 3--7 pairs of tiny leaflets per pinna. The leaves are dark green and viscid. Bright yellow flowers appear in small spherical flower heads in the summer.

Habitat

Native to a small are in the Texas Big Bend region and in adjacent Chihuahua and Coahuila, Mexico. This species is found on rocky limestone slopes and along small drainages in the Chihuahuan Desert.

Uses

None reported.

Horticulture

Schott acacia is rarely available from specialty nurseries in Arizona. It is suitable for small spaces. The sparse foliage provides light shade that can be beneficial for smaller cacti and succulents. Established plants are drought-tolerant. This species is hardy to at least 5° F (-15° C). Litter is minimal.