PlantPeers
Back to Catalog
No image available
Fabaceae FAMILY

Vachellia tortilis

Vachellia tortilis

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

There are unconfirmed allegations that the foliage can be toxic to livestock[1].

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree
GrowthFast

Umbrella thorn is a plant for semi-arid tropical and subtropical areas, succeeding at elevations from sea level to 2,000 metres[2, 3]. It grows best in areas where the mean annual temperature is in the range 23.4 - 31.3°c, with a mean annual rainfall of 100 - 1,000mm[2]. It tolerates a maximum temperature of 50°c and a minimum temperature close to 0°c[2], though trees less than 2 years old are very susceptible to frost damage[1]. The tree favours alkaline soils and grows in sand dunes, sandy loam, rocky soils and other soils that drain well[2]. It also does well on light brown, sandy soil with little or no calcium carbonate, and pH ranges of between 7.95-8.30[2]. Tolerates pH in the range 6.5 - 8.5[1]. A drought resistant plant, it can tolerate strong salinity and seasonal waterlogging[2]. The long taproot and numerous lateral roots enable it to utilize the limited soil moisture available in the arid areas[2]. Plants can grow fairly well in shallow soil, less than 0.25 m deep, though they develop long lateral roots that can become a nuisance in nearby fields, paths, and roadways[1]. A fast-growing tree, it develops a long lateral root system and creates problems in marshy fields, paths and roadways. It grows fairly well even on shallow soils less than 25cm deep. However, the plant assumes shrubby growth and must be widely spaced for the lateral root growth[2]. It responds vigorously to felling by producing numerous coppice shoots, provided there is no interference from browsing animals[2]. Lopping of entire branches does not seem to affect the vitality of the tree[2]. 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[4].

Propagation

Seed - requires pre-treatment. The simplest method is to pour boiling water over the seeds and soak the seeds in this cooling water for 24 hours[2]. Commercially, scarification with 50% concentrated sulphuric acid for 40-50 minutes followed by washing in cold running water and then drying in the shade overnight is often used[2]. Seeds of various dimensions have varying scarification requirements[2]. This method gives the maximum germination rate, about 95%. It is further reported that older seeds give healthier seedlings compared with fresh seeds[2]. The pre-treated seeds are sown in cylindrical metallic containers 10.2 cm in diameter and 30.5 cm long, filled with equal proportions of finely powdered farmyard manure, tank silt and soil that is sieved through a fine wire mesh. Two seeds are sown in each container. The sowing depth should not be more than to 4 cm; otherwise, seedling emergence will be adversely affected. Germination starts on the 4th day and is mostly completed over 10 days, although it may continue for 60 - 70 days. Germination rates can be low, around 45%[5]. Seedlings should be watered twice a day. Shade, when provided during the summer months, reduces the water requirement of the plants by 9.6% as compared with those grown in the open. Seedlings raised in metallic containers and planted in cemented beds, which are immersed in water, require 29% less water than those kept in earthen beds. In the long run, metallic containers are cheaper than the other types of containers and last longer (about 12 years). Seedlings are planted out when 0.5 - 1 m high and require initial weeding to facilitate growth[2]. Plants less than 2 years old are damaged by frost and are tender to hot, desiccating winds[2]. Seed storage behaviour is orthodox; viability can be maintained for several years in hermetic storage at 10 deg. C with 4.5-9% mc[2]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Vachellia+tortilis>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

  1. [1]Handbook of Energy Crops — Duke. J. · - · 1983 · https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/dukeindex.html · ISBN - ↩︎Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of both temperate and tropical plants.
  2. [2]World Agroforesty Centre — http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ ↩︎An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc.
  3. [3]Seed Leaflets — Various · Forest & Landscape. Denmark · http://en.sl.life.ku.dk/Publikationer/Udgivelser/PopulaerPublikationer.aspx?katid={D28373CC-6EF3-4EF8-B097-6D83FABF209E}&serieid={9F1C3DB1-6E7B-4CF1-AF53-F480B0CB40EF}&sort=title ↩︎A series of leaflets, jointly produced by the University of Copenhagen and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, focussing on seed information for a number species, but also giving a lot of other information about each plant.
  4. [4]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  5. [5]Useful Trees and Shrubs in Eritrea — Bein. E.; Habte. B.; Jaber. A.; Birnie. A. & Tengnas. B. · Regional Soil Conservation Unit: Nairobi · 1996 · ISBN 9966-896-24-4 ↩︎A very well written and concise guide to almost 200 species. It gives a brief description of each plant together with its habitat, uses, propagation and cultivation. Line drawings of each plant are also included It can be downloaded from the internet
  6. [6]Trees and Shrubs of the Sahel. Their Characteristics and Uses. — von Maydell H. · Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit; Germany · 1990 · ISBN 3-8236-1198-4 ↩︎A well-researched book, usually with more than one photograph of each species and good information on the plant and its uses.
  7. [7]Dictionary of Economic Plants. — Uphof. J. C. Th. · Weinheim · 1959 · ISBN - ↩︎An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
  8. [8]Traditional Food Plants of Kenya — Patrick M Maundu · Kenya Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge, National Museums · 1999 · ISBN 9966986146 ↩︎A concise guide to the edible plants of Kenya
  9. [9]Gemsbok Bean and Kalahari Truffle — Leffers A. · Gamsberg MacMillan; Namibia. · 2003 · ISBN 99916-0-491-X ↩︎Details of the traditional uses of over 200 species of plants in northeastern Namibia. Written for the non-expert, there is usually at least one photograph with each plant entry.