Vachellia schottii
Vachellia schottii
Botanical Name
Common Name(s)
- Schott acacia
Legume Clades
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.