Vachellia (Acacia) farnesiana

[Meangreen94z]

A Texas native. Here are a few pictures from landscaping at a local Austin shopping center.

[amh]

Wonderful native tree/shrub, these make an excellent honey.

I really like how these have been shaped.

[JeskiM]

When the big freeze hit three years ago, every one of the plants here in Georgetown TX froze clear down to ground level. There was a large field (~ 100 acres) that was full of them and not a single one of them escaped it. It wasn't till June, almost July, before there was any signs of life in them that year.

There was a large one at a restaurant near downtown G'Town with a trunk around 18 inch diameter with a crown big enough that there were 4-5 tables that people would sit under it. It was a gorgeous specimen.  I am not sure how it fared. I think the management of the restaurant may have chopped it down afterwards thinking it was a goner.

I have one that was around 15-20 foot tall/wide that froze to ground level.  Now three years later it is back to the same size. They are crazy fast growing if they get water (3-4 feet/year). They don't bloom much north of Austin.  Williamson County is on the far northern edge of their range and if we get any decent cold in January/February the blooms will freeze.

I would recommend it for anyone wanting to do a xeric tree even though it doesn't bloom yearly (dependably) if you get frequent cold spells in 2nd half of winter.  Even without a deep freeze it may freeze back a bit, but it always bounces back with a vengeance. The roots travel very far a wide. They are a weird, fibrous yellow color, with interesting rings formations around them.  Oh, and the thorns can probably puncture a car's tires

-Matt

[tropicbreeze]

6 hours ago, JeskiM said:

When the big freeze hit three years ago, every one of the plants here in Georgetown TX froze clear down to ground level. There was a large field (~ 100 acres) that was full of them and not a single one of them escaped it. It wasn't till June, almost July, before there was any signs of life in them that year.

There was a large one at a restaurant near downtown G'Town with a trunk around 18 inch diameter with a crown big enough that there were 4-5 tables that people would sit under it. It was a gorgeous specimen.  I am not sure how it fared. I think the management of the restaurant may have chopped it down afterwards thinking it was a goner.

I have one that was around 15-20 foot tall/wide that froze to ground level.  Now three years later it is back to the same size. They are crazy fast growing if they get water (3-4 feet/year). They don't bloom much north of Austin.  Williamson County is on the far northern edge of their range and if we get any decent cold in January/February the blooms will freeze.

I would recommend it for anyone wanting to do a xeric tree even though it doesn't bloom yearly (dependably) if you get frequent cold spells in 2nd half of winter.  Even without a deep freeze it may freeze back a bit, but it always bounces back with a vengeance. The roots travel very far a wide. They are a weird, fibrous yellow color, with interesting rings formations around them.  Oh, and the thorns can probably puncture a car's tires

-Matt

Not long ago I identified a small tree near here as Vachellia pallidifolia. Looks remarkably similar to your Vachellia farnesiana. The bark is rougher, though, more corky, and it doesn't have thorns. Otherwise, except very close up, you wouldn't see any difference. Haven't seen it in cultivation here, but it could save you a bit on tyre repairs. 🙂

[Silas_Sancona]

Probably the 4th most commonly encountered Legume - family tree here ..and in Tucson.. Has been observed as far north as Sacramento and Mesquite, NV. ( Probably grown in St. George UT. as well )

Can be small..











Somewhere in the middle..











..Or massive      ..And these are on the small end of  " Big "  here.













While the " main Show  serves as our " Spring opener ",  which arrives ~roughly Mid / Late Feb. - 2nd or 3rd week in March,  have seen trees in bloom right after Christmas, and / or with scattered flowers popping along this or that branch  year round..


TMK / WIO, never been cold enough to really bother them here.  Maybe some occasional damage in the cooler spots in Tucson ..or other areas where encountered in S.E AZ /  up north outside the Valley.

[ChrisA]

I have a soft spot for these trees. There are several large ones killed to the ground in SATX while others of various sizes survived. They have not had a big flowering even down here since 2021 as every winter has frozen most of the buds. Hope this season will let these beauties shine!

 

Photo from March 2019