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Acacia berlandieri
(Guajillo)
With one important
exception the Texas
native Acacia
berlandieri (or
Guajillo) shares many
characteristics with the
popular Lysiloma
thornberi (or Fern of
the Desert). Both have
lush green lacy, fern
like leaves and graceful
curved branching
patterns; both produce
creamy white ball
flowers in spring and
are essentially
thornless. The great
advantage of the
Guajillo is that it is
cold hardy to about 10
degrees F. In typical
Phoenix winters it
retains most of its
leaves. The common name
of this tree
Guajillo" is a
Mexican word that means
foolish or funny, and
was referred to by this
name because it
sometimes grows in funny
or unusual places. The
tree grows at a moderate
rate in an array of well
draining soil types and
settings. Mature trees
grow to about 9’ to 15’
tall and about as wide.
Trees prefer full sun
but will tolerate
partial shade. A natural
tendency toward multiple
trunk growth coupled
with a generally
shrub-like growth habit
means that young trees
will require some
pruning and shaping to
achieve desirable form.
Cream colored, mildly
fragrant flowers are
borne in clusters along
the branches in early
spring. Flowers produce
broad, elongate dark
brown seed pods (very
similar in appearance to
those found on
Lysiloma). Pods split to
release seeds and most
are eventually dropped.
Pod litter can be a
problem in years with
heavy seed crops. Acacia
berlandieri adds a soft
lush quality to the
landscape and mixes well
with a variety of desert
trees and shrubs. Its
semi-evergreen nature
makes it an excellent
complement to trees and
shrubs that may be more
deciduous in winter. Its
smaller stature makes it
a good accent tree or
planted with taller
maturing trees to create
a landscape screen.
Acacia berlandieri is an
excellent alternative to
Lysiloma in those
settings where cold
hardiness is an issue or
where less deciduous
trees are needed in
desert landscapes.
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