Snyder Preserve - Acacia greggii

Photos 3 and 4 by Addie Leimroth

 

Family: Fabaceae

 

Compound: Aca gre

 

Synonyms: Acacia greggii var. arizonicas, Senegalia greggii 
 
Geographic Origin: southwestern US, northern MX
 
Characteristics: A small tree or shrub with an upright, mounding growth habit. As a shrub, its average height is about 1.8m (6ft), but as a tree it ranges between 3-9.5m (10-30ft). Bark is grey-brown, becoming fissured and furrowed over time. Sharp, curved spines are distributed along branches at the internodes, hence the common name "catclaw". Leaflets are small, dull-green, and elliptic, forming an alternate leaf arrangement that is bi-pinnately compound. Another distinctive feature, in addition to the spines, are its bushy, creamy-white flowers. Highly fragrant flowers are monoecious and form on 5cm (2in) terminal spikes, blooming in the spring and early summer. As a leguminous shrub, fruit are twisted bean pods up to 10.15cm (4in), which persist throughout the winter.
 
Natural History: Found in canyons and gravelly washes, in desert scrub, grasslands and chaparral at elevations up to 1525m (5000ft).
 
Cultivation Notes: Best grown from seed, exposed to full sun and grown in either acidic or alkaline soils that have low organic matter. Little to zero irrigation is need once established.
 
For general plant propagation information, click here
 
Ethnobotany: Unripe pods are typically eaten fresh, or dried and grounded into a meal to then made into porridge and bread. The wood has been used in basketry and the building of hunting and fishing tools. The Comcaac have also used the wood for building tools and weapons, such as chisels, digging sticks, fish and turtle harpoons, and bows. Its medicinal uses include using the pods to make eyewash to treat conjunctivitis, also grounding leaves and pods into powder that prevents bleeding and soothes sore skin. As a tea it may treat diarrhea and dysentery, with the addition of its flowers it may also treat nausea and vomiting. The root may be brewed into a tea that treats sore throats, mouth inflammation, and coughs. Catclaw may be used as an ornamental in urban and xeric landscapes, serving as a screen and background plant. It also makes an excellent desert accent plant when in bloom, and is visited by countless species.
 
Citations:
 
Library of Arizona Landscape Plants. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
https://www.public.asu.edu/~camartin/plants/Plant html files/senegaliagreggii.html
 
Virginia Tech Dendrology. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
 
U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved November 25, 2018
 
Southwestdesertflora.com.  April 24, 2018. 
 
SEINet Arizona – New Mexico Chapter. Retrieved June 23, 2024.