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A new
Acacia species being
introduced into
southwestern landscapes
is Acacia erioloba
(Camel Thorn or Giraffe Thorn) native to the desert
regions of southern Africa. As an evergreen, Giraffe Thorn
offers much needed shade year round while providing food and
shelter for wildlife. Selections growing in Arizona appear to be
cold temperature deciduous. Young trees have a generally upright
growth habit but as they mature the canopy spreads to form a
wide canopy that provides substantial shade. It is the dominant
tree in the natural landscape of Namibia and Botswana, growing
primarily along the banks and in the middle of river beds.
Thorns occur in pairs along the trunk and numerous ball shaped
yellow flowers appear in the spring. Trees are reported to be
hardy to 20 degrees F. Most of the more popular desert
adapted landscape species (Mesquites, Palo Verdes, Sweet
Acacias) tend to mature at about 25' to 35' tall and wide.
Giraffe Thorn probably takes its name from its large stature. It
typically grows to a mature height and width of 30 to 60 feet,
leading one south African botanist to call it, "the king of
trees in the arid regions of southern Africa." A. erioloba
presents an opportunity to introduce a truly large stature tree
into the southwest landscape palette that has a form and
appearance that compliments our native desert species. Mature
specimens could be used as a screen planting around the margins
of a landscape, as a visual focal point or entry marker. The
ultimate size of these trees should be taken into consideration
when placing them in the landscape design. In natural setting
the mature size of the tree is heavily influenced by the annual
rainfall in the area. These observations suggest that the mature
size of Giraffe Thorn trees used in landscapes settings could be
controlled by effective irrigation management.
The
seed pods are eaten by
animals as fast as they
fall and for cows that
feed on the seed pods,
there seems to be a
noticeable increase in
milk production. There
are reports that certain
times of the year the
seed pod can be
poisonous. The wood is
very strong and
resistant to termites
and bores favoring the
wood for wagons and mine
props. For medicinal use
by the natives, they
would burn the bark and
ground the by-product to
remedy headaches and
dried seed pods crushed
to a white powder would
cure ear infections.
The common name Camel
Thorn is a
mistranslation from the
Afrikaans name, 'Kameeldoring',
derived from kameelperd
meaning giraffe. Early
South African settlers
named the tree 'Kameeldoring'
meaning Giraffe Thorn.
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