Senegalia greggii
Catclaw Acacia
Family: Fabaceae
Small, deciduous large shrub (sometimes a tree) with cat-claw thorns, growing to 15-20’ or more. Flowers in late spring-summer with fragrant rodlike, white catkins which are followed by legume seed pods.
Grow in full sun, in well-drained soil. Provide moderate to low water when established—moderate water will make a healthier and better-looking plant, even though this plant is very drought tolerant when established. Hardy to 0°F.
Larval host for butterflies like the Mexican yellow (Eurema mexicana), the mimosa yellow (Pyrisitia nise), Reakirt’s blue (Hemiargus isola), and the marine blue (Leptotes marina) as well as a host of many other insects and moths. Attracts arboreal-gleaning, insectivorous birds. Also attracts seed-consuming birds (and other animals). Flowers attract all sorts of nectar-eating insects, including insects that aren’t commonly attracted to other plants. Nice habitat for birds (the dense, thorny branches protect animals hiding within).
Wood used for constructing various items. Great nectar plant for domestic bees. Seeds roasted and ground into meal. Leaves, stems, pods, and roots are used as an astringent, emollient, disinfectant, anti-inflammatory. Sometimes used in basketry. A gum similar to gum arabic exudes from the trunks of older plants and has been used.
Formerly known as Acacia greggii. Acacia is from Greek akakie taken from ake or akis, -a sharp point. The genus Senegalia is a derivation of Senegal in Africa. The species greggii is reference to Josiah Gregg (1806-1850), a frontier trader and author who worked with Dr. George Engelmann.
Found on flats, washes, and slopes below 5,000’. Very common in Arizona but also found in the southern portions of California, Nevada, Utah, scattered through New Mexico and Texas, and south into northern Mexico.