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Acaciella angustissima var. angustissima

Acaciella angustissima var. angustissima.jpeg

Acaciella angustissima var. angustissima
J. Charboneau

Acaciella angustissima var. angustissima inflorescences and leaves

Botanical Name

Acaciella angustissima (Miller) Britton & Rose var. angustissima

Common Name(s)

  • white-ball acacia
  • prairie acacia
  • fern acacia

Synonyms

Parent Species

Acaciella angustissima

Legume Clades

Caesalpinioideae , Mimosoid Clade , Core Mimosoids , Ingoid Clade , Calliandra Clade , Acaciella

Native Geographic Range

  • Southern North America
  • Central America
  • Northern South America
  • Central South America

IUCN Status

Growth Form

shrub

Cultivation Status in AZ

Native

Description

Deciduous, unarmed shrubs or subshrubs 3—6½ feet (1—2 m) high with several to numerous stems from the crown. Leaves are bipinnate with 9—17 pairs of pinnae per leave, each with 20—40 pairs of leaflets. Flowers are greenish-white in spherical heads and typically appear from May into October.

Habitat

Arizona through Mexico into Central America and also in northern Argentina. In Arizona, the plants are typically found in grasslands and oak woodland habitats, and rarely at the upper edge of the desert. They grow on slopes and along arroyos as well as roadsides.

Uses

The flowers of white-ball acacia attract butterflies.

Horticulture

White-ball acacia can be planted as a flowering perennial in a garden setting where other plants can provide interest while it dormant. The ferny foliage and flowers are attractive. Growth is rapid with irrigation. Stems typically freeze to the ground at ca. 20° F (-6.5° C). In areas with regular winter freezing, it typically forms a low, many-stemmed plant while in mild winter areas it grows taller. Litter is minimal.