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Sweet Acacia Wikimedia Commons
Fabaceae

Sweet Acacia

Vachellia farnesiana

Chaste love.

Family
Fabaceae
Genus
Vachellia
Native to
Tropical Americas, Southern United States
Bloom season
Winter, Spring
Type
shrub
Height
10-20 ft
Sunlight
full sun
Soil
Well-drained, tolerates poor soil
Water
low
Hardiness
9-11
Lifespan
perennial

Did you know

  • Sweet Acacia's intensely fragrant pom-pom flowers have been used in perfumery since the Renaissance, particularly in France.
  • It was one of the first New World plants grown in European gardens, cultivated in Rome's Farnese Gardens by 1611.
  • The seed pods, called 'huisache,' are eaten by wildlife and were used by indigenous peoples as food and medicine.
  • Its thorns can grow up to 3 inches long and are actually modified stipules at the base of each leaf.
  • The heartwood produces a natural dye that ranges from brown to black, used historically for dyeing textiles.

Color meanings

0

elegance

1

platonic love

Uses

  • perfumery
  • natural dye production