Prickly Acacia (Acacia horrida)

Sometimes, when you have a large farm or garden, you need a plant that, in addition to having a certain ornamental value, can be used as a defensive hedge. If you are one of those people who do not know what to put, this time I am going to talk to you about the thorny acacia.

As you can see in the image, its spines are very long and sharp, so there is no one like it to protect you. Get to know it.

Origin and characteristics

Image – el-gigante-egoista.webnode.es

Our protagonist is a deciduous tree whose scientific name is Acacia horrida. It is popularly known as African carambuco, African buffalo acacia, orange mimosa, African aroma, sweet thorn and prickly acacia. It is native to South Africa, found in the savannas and deserts. It reaches a height of 3 to 6 meters, with a more or less rounded crown composed of branches armed with long thorns.

The flowers are grouped in small inflorescences in the shape of a ballerina’s pom-pom 1-2cm in diameter. The fruit is long, dry and inside we find round and hard blackish seeds. It has a life expectancy of about 30 years.

What are their cares?

If you dare to have a prickly acacia, we recommend providing it with the following care:

Location: outside, in full sun.
Land:
- Pot: universal growing substrate mixed with perlite in equal parts.
- Garden: tolerates dry and poor soils as long as they have good drainage.
Watering: 2 times a week in summer and a little less the rest of the year.
Subscriber: from the beginning of spring to the end of summer, it must be paid with organic fertilizers once a month following the indications specified on the product packaging.
Multiplication: by seeds in spring. Direct sowing in seedbed.
Pruning: can be pruned after flowering, removing dry, diseased or weak branches.
Rusticity: withstands cold and frosts down to -7ºC.