Vachellia Species, Fever Tree, Koorsboom

This is a beautiful tree in it's native region. The most attractive feature is the powdery smooth yellow-green bark. It seems to glow, ...Read Moreespecially in stands of them. They do have spiny barbs like many other acacias. The leaves are tiny and fern-like. I have seen these trees all over South Africa and my South African husband finally convinced me to try germinating some seeds here in Northwest Florida. I didn't have too much expectation that they would last, but amazingly one of the seedlings has managed to reach around 8 feet the second year. They grow quickly, at least 2 to 3 feet per growing season, maybe more depending on rainfall. They like plenty of summer rain to grow to their potential, so supplementation may be necessary if you have dry summers. There are (or were) some nice large specimens in Tampa, FL at Busch Gardens, but they tend to get nipped by occasional frosts in my zone, 8b. However, the first season, it perked right back up once the leaves started coming back in spring (I had to prune the dead top off quite a bit). I was concerned about how this would permanently damage the tree, but after some reading, it seems that this is the natural way elephants give this tree its shape in SA (always eating the soft tops of the juvenile trees). There seems to also be some misunderstanding that these trees can only be reproduced by seed. However, I tried rooting some tender branches broken by my cats, which all rooted after a couple weeks. Of course, I don't know if these would turn into healthy trees, but they appear to be growing the same as from seed. Apparently the long tap root when grown from seed should never be damaged, as the tree will die or never be healthy. So how would this apply to rooted cuttings? I'm very interested to find out if anyone else has experimented, so please tell us! The cuttings I rooted have gone strong through this winter (although it was quite mild this year, with a couple short light frosts). Some had green leaves throughout the winter! My largest tree however, definitely suffered some burning. I believe we've had too much rain to coincide with the frosts this year, which caused more damage than anything else. I've been checking it daily to see if new leaves emerge. The smaller ones all have leaves emerging from the base. This year, I want to wait and see how the leaves emerge before chopping the tops off (although they quickly grow back from this if the roots are healthy). Obviously, these trees will do their best with a combination of heat and plentiful water supply, but it has been such a fun experiment and I'm keeping my fingers crossed they continue to grow taller and hopefully attain that beautiful yellow-green glow that I believe comes with maturity.

There is a house about 4 miles from me with 2 of these beautiful trees. The owner collects cacti & succulents from around the world. I ...Read Morewas able to obtain some seeds and will attempt to grow some on my property. I understand they are very popular in Africa but unavailable here. They will go nicely with my xeriscaped yard.

I have five of these beauties growing outside our home in Johannesburg. Worth a try in California, Florida and Australia. The bark of thi...Read Mores tree is lime green to greenish-yellow. It's smooth, slightly flaking, and coated in a yellow powdery substance. The long straight white thorns are arranged in pairs and although they are very significant on young trees they often become barely noticeable on mature specimens.

Bright yellow, golden, ball-like flowers which are sweetly scented are borne in clusters on shortened side shoots at the nodes and towards the ends of branches. Flowering occurs from August or September to November in South Africa. Flowers are followed by the production of yellowish- brown to brown pods which split open to reveal the small hard brown seeds, which may be harvested from January to April.

This tree can be found from Kenya in the north to KwaZulu Natal in the south. It is a prominent feature in the lowveld region of South Africa.

This tree is popular amongst birds for nest building as the thorns add extra protection against predators such as snakes.

The fever tree is an exceptionally attractive tree and is often used to decorate gardens and urban landscapes. Its contrasting bark, feathery foliage, and architectural attributes make it an eye-catcher and thus suitable as a focal point in a landscape. A fast growth rate of approximately 1.5 m per year under ideal conditions make this plant a good candidate for gardeners and landscapers who want quick results.

This plant has root nodules containing nitrogen fixing bacteria as do most members of the Mimosaceae family and these play an important role in the nitrogen enrichment of soils which then has a positive impact on the growth of plants around the fever tree.

The fever tree is relatively easy to propagate. Before sowing, the seed should be soaked in hot water overnight. This causes the seeds to swell and usually by the next morning they are ready to be sown. Seed can be sown in seedling trays using a well drained seedling medium and then covered lightly. When the seedlings reach the two-leaf stage (approx. six to eight weeks after sowing) they should be transplanted from seedling trays into nursery bags, taking care not to damage the long taproot. Seedlings and young trees transplant well.

Due to its mature dimensions it is recommended not to plant it close to buildings. This tree can tolerate moderate frost, but will not survive temperatures below -2 C