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Vachellia nebrownii

Botanical Name

Vachellia nebrownii (Burtt Davy) Seigler & Ebinger

Common Name(s)

  • water acacia
  • lerura (Tswana)
  • lerwana (Tswana)

Synonyms

Legume Clades

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

Native Geographic Range

  • Southern Africa

IUCN Status

LC (Least concern)
See IUCN Red List Assessment

Growth Form

small tree
shrub

Cultivation Status in AZ

Rarely cultivated

Description

Drought- and cold-deciduous, open shrubs to 10 ft (3 m) high. The bark is smooth and grayish brown, peeling in thin papery strips to reveal the green inner bark. Stems are armed with paired white spines at the nodes. Leaves are bipinnate with 1--3 pairs of pinnae. Each pinna has 3 or 4 pairs of small leaflets. Spherical yellow flower heads appear in summer.

Habitat

Native to parts of Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. It is found in various soils of floodplains and on rocky hills in dry scrub and savanna.

Uses

None reported.

Horticulture

Water acacia is not available from nurseries in the U.S. It makes an interesting patio tree and tolerates hot exposures. Established plants are drought tolerant but occasional irrigation helps to maintain appearance. Plants are hardy to about 22° F (-5.5° C). Litter is minimal.