Acacia karroo
Sweet Thorn (e), Soetdoring (a), umuNga (z), Leoka (s)
S.A. No. 172
Very hardy, semi-deciduous, fast growing, and drought resistant tree. Abundant, fragrant, yellow, puffball flowers adorn the tree intermittently, in response to rain, throughout summer and it can flower up to 6 times a year. It is a host to various butterflies and attracts a multitude of insects and therefore also attracts many birds. It also attracts bushbabies. The roots are nitrogen fixers and make this tree ideal for planting on disturbed and poor soils. For the environmentally conscious this tree is a must. Children chew the gum, which is also used as glue. It has many medicinal and household uses. As this tree occurs naturally in Sub Saharan Africa the size and hardiness is very variable; as a rule of thumb the darker the bark the more frost hardy the plant. This also makes the size of the tree hard to predict in horticulture unless it is known exactly where the seed comes from.
Size 4 to 12m : in
