Vachellia constricta
Vachellia constricta
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
Vachellia constricta is a plant of arid and semi-arid regions of southwestern N. America at elevations up to 2,000 metres. It can experience summer temperatures as high as 43°c with winter lows falling to -12°c. Annual precipiation can range from 90 - 500mm, most of it falling in intense (summer) or more moderate (winter) storms[1]. Requires a sunny position in a well-drained soil. Sandy to loamy soils are most often described in association with whitethorn acacia. An impervious caliche or lime layer is also commonly associated with most of these soils. Whitethorn acacia was found on soils with 6.3% to 10.9% moisture content during the period of most intense drought conditions, and dominated where the moisture content was 6.3%. Soil moisture, nitrate, ammonium, and phosphorus concentrations are higher when shrubs have ant nests beneath their canopies[1]. Following top-kill, this species sprouts from the root crown[1] A fairly long-lived tree that can live more than 70 years[1]. Flowers are short lived, and bees only pollinate flowers on the day flower buds open[1]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria; these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[1].
Propagation
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a sunny position in a warm greenhouse[2]. Stored seed should be scarified, pre-soaked for 12 hours in warm water and then sown in a warm greenhouse in early spring. The seed germinates in 3 - 4 weeks at 25°c[3]. As soon as the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots and grow them on in a sunny position in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts, and consider giving them some protection from the cold for their first winter outdoors. Cuttings of half-ripe wood with a heel, mid summer in individual pots in a frame[4]. Overwinter in a greenhouse for the first winter and plant out in their permanent positions in late spring or early summer. Fair percentage[4]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Vachellia+constricta>
Pollinators
Bees, Insects, Self
References
- [1]Fire Effects Information System — http://www.feis-crs.org/feis/ ↩︎An on-line information site with comprehensive information on over 1,100 species of plant. Mainly developed to supply information on the effects of fire on plants and animals, it also contains a wealth of other information on the plants
- [2]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
- [3]Growing from Seed. Volume 1. — Rice. G. (Editor) · Thompson and Morgan. · 1987 · ISBN - ↩︎Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.
- [4]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.