Acacia ID?

[Fusca]

This tree is growing in zone 8b/9a NW of Houston near Brenham.  It's obviously a legume but not sure of the species.  It's deciduous and has yellow flowers and thorns at each junction of the branches.  When I looked up different photos of Acacia I would find some leaf matches but different seed pods.  Perhaps it's something else - any ideas?  The seed pods are huge as you can see in upper right of first photo.

 

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, Fusca said:

This tree is growing in zone 8b/9a NW of Houston near Brenham.  It's obviously a legume but not sure of the species.  It's deciduous and has yellow flowers and thorns at each junction of the branches.  When I looked up different photos of Acacia I would find some leaf matches but different seed pods.  Perhaps it's something else - any ideas?  The seed pods are huge as you can see in upper right of first photo.

 

Just past flowering Ebanopsis ebano, Texas Ebony..

[Fusca]

8 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Just past flowering Ebanopsis ebano, Texas Ebony

Thanks Nathan!  I'm surprised that I've not seen it before.  Should be planted more here - bees seem to love it!

[Silas_Sancona]

2 minutes ago, Fusca said:

Thanks Nathan!  I'm surprised that I've not seen it before.  Should be planted more here - bees seem to love it!

   Those should be quite common around San Antonio / Austin, other parts of Texas.. That one is a baby lol.. They can reach 40-50ft in height / 40ft wide.. May be bigger specimens growing naturally closer to the Rio Grande down by Brownsville.. 

Tree @ Selby in Sarasota


Desert Botanical specimen.. These make GREAT shade / canopy  if allowed to gain size.





Most people think these are slow growing.. Might be slow-ish when young, but pick up speed, esp. if well watered in summer.  Easy from seed if the seed is scratched / soaked in warm water overnight before planting.  Make outstanding Bonsai.  Wood is prized for furniture, etc. Seed was used as a coffee substitute, are supposedly edible if collected/ prepared while still green.

[Fusca]

4 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Most people think these are slow growing.. Might be slow-ish when young, but pick up speed, esp. if well watered in summer.  Easy from seed if the seed is scratched / soaked in warm water overnight before planting.  Make outstanding Bonsai.  Wood is prized for furniture, etc. Seed was used as a coffee substitute, are supposedly edible if collected/ prepared while still green.

That's just what I did with 2 seeds and got 2 seedlings!    Thanks for the info - I could use some extra shade!

[Silas_Sancona]

4 minutes ago, Fusca said:

That's just what I did with 2 seeds and got 2 seedlings!    Thanks for the info - I could use some extra shade!

You'll enjoy it.. Overall canopy foliage density is better than Mesquites... and these won't drop their leaves in the winter either.  What spines are present aren't all that bad, Disappear a bit as the trees get older. Bet someone could get away with some pretty tender, lower growing ..or slow growing.. understory - type palms/ plants if they planted a grove of these.. Have a big bag of seed ( might just collect some more ) for ahem, ..future endevors, lol