Cat Claw Acacia
Acacia greggii
Family:
Fabaceae, Pea Family
Form:
Large shrub to small tree; 6 feet to 25 feet in height and width
Range:
Southwestern United States and northern Mexico
Habitat:
Common to washes at lower elevations and slopes at higher elevations; to 5,000 feet elevation; widespread throughout the Sonoran, Mojave and Chihuahuan Deserts
Living Desert Location:
Ethnobotanic Garden, Mohave Garden, Upper Colorado Garden
Cat claw acacia gets its name from the stout, quarter-inch recurved thorns scattered along the stems. The ultimate size of the plant is determined by availability of moisture. Two-inch long spikes of fragrant, cream-colored flowers occur mainly in spring. The small, gray-green leaflets are drought deciduous in the summer heat and semi-deciduous in the winter cold, depending on the degree of chill. Plants are hardy to 0 degrees.
In the garden, Acacia greggii makes a good barrier plant and wildlife habitat. Over time, it can be trained into a small tree with a picturesque trunk. Once established, it is very drought tolerant and can survive on one or two waterings a month during summer. The ground seeds of the cat claw acacia provided Native Americans with a flour from which a mush or cakes could be made. The pods, leaves, stems and flowers all have medicinal value. An exudate similar to gum Arabic is obtained from the trunks for use in Mexico. Foliage and fruits provide browse for wildlife such as mule deer, rabbits and rodents. Rodents and birds consume the seeds. Various insects pollinate the flowers.
The flowers of cat claw acacia provide an excellent nectar source for honey and are attractive to butterflies.
