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Anderson, Wynn

Senegalia greggii

Senegalia greggii�(A. Gray) Britton & Rose

Gregg Acacia, Gregg's Acacia, Gregg Catclaw Acacia, Gregg's Catclaw Acacia, Gregg Catclaw, Gregg's Catclaw, Texas Catclaw Acacia, Texas Catclaw, Long-flowered Catclaw Acacia, Longflower Catclaw Acacia, Long-flowered Catclaw, Longflower Catclaw, Catclaw Acacia, Catclaw, Devil's Claw, U�a De Gato

Fabaceae (Pea Family)

Synonym(s): Acacia greggii, Acacia greggii var. arizonica, Acacia greggii var. greggii

USDA Symbol: SEGR4

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

A rounded and much-branched shrub to 5 ft. tall, (occasionally tree-like to 20 ft.) with twice-pinnate, gray-green foliage; creamy-white flowers; contorted pods; and cat claw-shaped thorns. The flowers occur in bushy, 2 in. spikes and are fragrant. Occasionally a small tree with a broad crown. One of the most despised southwestern shrubs. As indicated by the common names (including the Spanish, una de gato), the sharp, stout, hooked spines, like a cat�s claws, tear clothing and flesh.

The species was named in honor of Josiah Gregg, (1806-1850). He was born in Overton County, Tennessee. In the summer of 1841 and again in the winter of 1841-42 he traveled through Texas, up the Red River valley, and later from Galveston to Austin and by way of Nacogdoches to Arkansas. He took note of Texas geology, trees, prevalent attitudes, and politics. At the same time, Gregg began compiling his travel notes into a readable manuscript. His �Commerce of the Prairies�, which came out in two volumes in 1844, was an immediate success. In 1848 he joined a botanical expedition to western Mexico and California, during which he corresponded with and sent specimens to the eminent botanist George Engelmann in St. Louis. Subsequently, the American Botanical Society added the Latinized epithet, �greggii� in his honor to twenty-three species of plants. Gregg died in 1850 during an expedition in California.

From the Image Gallery

27 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Root Type: Tap
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Bipinnate
Leaf Shape: Elliptic
Fruit Type: Legume
Size Notes: Up to about 20 feet tall, often much shorter.
Leaf: Dull-green
Flower: Flowers 6 mm. Stamens many.
Fruit: Red-brown 6-13 cm

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Yellow
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct

Distribution

USA: AZ , CA , NM , NV , TX , UT
Native Distribution: S. & w. TX, w. to s.e. CA; adjacent Mex.
Native Habitat: Chaparral & brush country. Washes; stream banks; brushlands

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
CaCO3 Tolerance: High
Heat Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Caliche type, Well-drained, sandy or rocky soils.
Conditions Comments: Senegalia greggii is most often a shrub, but it can be trained to a 30 ft. tree in south Texas. Moderate growth rate. Sometimes produced scattered flowers again in August. Must have well-drained soils. Keep organic matter low or roots will rot. Tolerates alkalinity.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: Hedges, Attractive, Blooms ornamental, Showy
Use Wildlife: Provides bird and rabbit shelter and food. Cover, Nectar-insects, Browse, Fruit-birds, Nectar-bees
Use Food: Catclaw honey (also known as Uvalde honey, from the Texas county of that name) is from the flowers of this and related species. Indians once made meal called "pinole" from the seeds.
Use Other: The hard, heavy wood with reddish-brown heartwood and yellow sapwood is used for souvenirs and locally for tool handles and fuel.
Warning: Twigs and foliage are poisonous to animals if eaten. Humans should generally avoid ingesting plants that are toxic to animals. Beware of the sharp, claw-like thorns.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Propagation

Description: Propagate from seed. Transplanting is difficult because of a pronounced taproot.
Seed Collection: Late summer to early fall when seeds are firm, filled out, and dark brown
Seed Treatment: No treatment; scarification or hot water may improve germination.
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Santa Barbara, CA
Texas Discovery Gardens - Dallas, TX
Nueces River Authority - Uvalde, TX
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - Austin, TX
National Butterfly Center - Mission, TX
Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Bibliography

Bibref 298 - Field Guide to Texas Trees (1999) Simpson, B.J.
Bibref 355 - Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest (1991) Miller, G. O.
Bibref 995 - Native Landscaping from El Paso to L.A. (2000) Wasowski, S. and A. Wasowski
Bibref 291 - Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender
Bibref 297 - Trees of Central Texas (1984) Vines, Robert A.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 36 - Jepson eFlora (2019) The Jepson Herbarium, University of California, Berkeley

Additional resources

USDA: Find Senegalia greggii in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Senegalia greggii in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Senegalia greggii

Metadata

Record Modified: 2022-10-11
Research By: TWC Staff

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