About Vachellia schaffneri (S.Watson) Seigler & Ebinger
Vachellia schaffneri is a thorny tree that reaches a maximum height of 25 feet. It produces alternate, bipinnately compound leaves that generally resemble the leaves of other species in the Vachellia genus. This plant blooms in spring, bearing yellow mimosoid flowers. Its seedpods are long and fuzzy, ripen in late summer, and are eaten by livestock; each pod contains many hard, black seeds. The wood of Vachellia schaffneri is used for fuel, cooking fuel, and constructing fences, and it makes excellent firewood. The trees also act as a food source for animals: goats and sheep browse its leaves and eat the fuzzy seedpods when they are available in late summer. Additionally, livestock use Vachellia schaffneri trees for shade and shelter.
