Species within the genus Acacia can be found all over the world and vary tremendously in size, shape, color, texture, character and stature. There are Acacia trees, shrubs and groundcovers. This versatility explains why there are so many Acacias in the desert landscape palette. The trees listed below are examples of the diversity of this genus. Acacia jennerae, a relative new comer to desert landscapes, is evergreen, slightly weepy and quite lush, A. greggii has more of a Sonoran desert character with its small stature, dispersed leaves and thorns and A. berlandieri fall somewhere between these two extremes. 

Acacia jennerae, Coonavittra Wattle, is an Australian import that takes its name from the town Coonavittra in New South Wales, Australia where it grows native along creek banks and salt lakes. It is relatively small in stature, evergreen and matures into an upright, generally columnar, thornless tree with slightly weeping leaves and a lacy canopy. It shares some structural qualities with Acacia salicina but with a more uniform, vertical stature. Acacia jennerae has vertically ascending branches, with drooping tips, giving it a vase-shaped, upright, narrow profile. With rigid, upturned leaves the canopy is compact yet lacy giving the tree lush texture that provides scattered shade. Yellow to gold ball-shaped flowers, in 3-to-8-flower clusters are produced from November to February and sometimes in response to summer irrigations. Pods have a zig-zag appearance, gray-brown to tan and about 4" to 7" long. Trees can reach a mature height of 20' and width of about 12'. The contrast between the reddish branches and stems with the pale green leaves make this a striking, medium stature, evergreen tree. It is used as an accent, theme and patio tree, in parking medians, streetscapes, and any setting where an evergreen, flowering trees is needed.

Acacia berlandieri (Guajillo), a Texas native shares many characteristics with the popular Lysiloma thornberi (Fern of the Desert). Both have lush green lacy, fern like leaves and graceful curved branches and trunks; both produce creamy white ball-flowers in spring and are essentially thornless. Unlike Lysiloma, Guajillo is cold hardy to about 10 degrees F and semi-evergreen in milder climates. "Guajillo" is a Mexican word that means foolish or funny, and got this name because it sometimes grows in unusual places. Tree grows at a moderate rate maturing to 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 require pruning and shaping to achieve desirable form. Cream colored, mildly fragrant flowers are borne in clusters along the branches in early spring give rise to broad, elongate, tan to dark brown seed pods (very similar in appearance to those found on Lysiloma). Acacia berlandieri adds a soft lush quality to the landscape and mixes well with a variety of desert trees and shrubs. It is an excellent complement to trees and shrubs that are deciduous in winter. Its smaller stature makes it a good accent tree or for planted with taller maturing trees to create a landscape screen.

Cat Claw Acacia (also called Devil's Claw Acacia) Acacia greggii, takes it name from the curved thorns that are found along the smaller branches. This semi-deciduous native of the American southwest and northern Mexico grows at a moderate rate to a height and width of 15 to 25'. It thrives in full sun and tolerates temperatures of 0° F. Cat Claw can be found growing on canyon slopes, along arroyos and desert flats to elevations below 5000 feet. This specie has been present in the Sonoran Desert for over 12,000 years and individual specimens can live for 130 years. They are among the most drought tolerant trees in the Sonoran desert. Established trees can survive without supplemental irrigation but do best with monthly deep soaking during the hottest months (May through September). Two-inch long flowers spikes of mildly fragrant, cream to pale yellow flowers are produced from spring to fall. 

Left unpruned, branches form a dense, thorny, spherical canopy that makes this an excellent security planting. Careful pruning reveals the graceful, twisted and gnarled trunks. Nursery grown specimens are trained into multiple trunked and single trunked tree forms. Gray-green leaves are made of finely divided leaflets that produce a dispersed canopy and filtered shade. Trees are fully deciduous in severe droughts. Its rustic trunks, natural form, summer flowers and hardiness make Cat Claw Acacia an ideal accent or perimeter planting tree in high and low desert landscapes. These trees attract birds and other wildlife in landscapes that border native desert.