Stats

Lifespan

30-40 yrs

Size

Large

Diet

Photosynthetic

Biome

Tropical savanna

Range

Southern Africa

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Seeds

Defense

Spines

Status

Uncommon

About

A resilient African acacia with a signature flat-topped umbrella canopy, Sweet Thorn produces fragrant yellow pompom flowers and pairs them with long white thorns — a striking contrast that makes it a keystone tree of southern African savannas and scrubland.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   seed

   A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2. 2.
   sprout

   A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3. 3.
   sapling

   A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4. 4.
   mature

   Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Tracheophyta

Class

Magnoliopsida

Order

Fabales

Family

Fabaceae

Genus

Vachellia

Species

Vachellia karroo