Fern Acacia (Acaciella angustissima)

   

Overview. Photograph by Wynn Anderson.

 

Flowers and seed pods of Acaciellaangustissima. Photographs by Wynn Anderson.

• Common English Names: Fern Acacia, Whiteball Acacia
• Common Spanish Names: Timbre, Guajito
• Scientific Name: Acaciella angustissima (ah-kay-cee-EL-lah an-gus-TISS-ih-muh)
• Family: Fabaceae (Legume Family)
• Geographic Range:: Florida across to Arizona, grasslands of southern New Mexico and Trans-Pecos Texas, and south through Chihuahua, Durango, and Coahuila in the Chihuahuan Desert Region into southern Mexico and Central America.
• Plant Form: Perennial/Sub-shrub, 1' to 3' tall.
• Description: Small grassland shrub or sub-shrub with fine-textured, fern-like, deciduous leaves on thornless, semi-woody or often mostly herbaceous wand-like stems; white-ball flowers summer to fall; low growing, spreading by woody rhizomes.
• Landscape use: Commercially available subshrub; plant in full sun or part shade, hardy and adaptable to most well-draining soils; good for holding soil on banks, spreading aggressively under irrigation.
• Remarks: Formally known as Acacia angustissima. Three varieties occur in the Chihuahuan Desert Region.

Last Update: 9 Sep 2013