Native Plants
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Vachellia tortuosa
Vachellia tortuosa (L.) Seigler & Ebinger
Poponax, Huisachillo
Fabaceae (Pea Family)
Synonym(s): Acacia tortuosa, Mimosa tortuosa, Poponax tortuosa
USDA Symbol: VATO2
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), PR (N), VI (N)
Huisachillo is commonly considered a shrubby version of Huisache. It has a broad range, found from southern Texas and southern Florida in the north, down through the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America to northern South America. In Texas, it is found on limestone soils in the Rio Grande Plains, where it can grow into a tree of 15 to 20 feet, and on the southern edge of the Edwards Plateau. Huisachillo tolerates more cold than the taller Huisache (Acacia farnesiana). Its seed pod is 2 1/2 to 3 inches long and is covered with downy hairs, while that of Huisache is glabrous, shorter, and much more woody and rounded.
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Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Tree
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Fruit Type: Legume
Size Notes: Up to about 20 feet tall.
Fruit: Brown-black
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: YellowBloom Time: Mar , Apr , May
Distribution
USA: FL , TXNative Distribution: Southern Texas and southern Florida south through the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America to northern South America.
Growing Conditions
Cold Tolerant: yesHeat Tolerant: yes
Bibliography
Bibref 297 - Trees of Central Texas (1984) Vines, Robert A.Search More Titles in Bibliography
Web Reference
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona ChapterAdditional resources
USDA: Find Vachellia tortuosa in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Vachellia tortuosa in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Vachellia tortuosa
Metadata
Record Modified: 2022-10-11Research By: TWC Staff