Blue thorn, Yellow-bark acacia
Senegalia erubescens

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A tree which loses many of its leaves during the year. It is a shrub or small tree. It can grow to 6 m tall. It may have one or many stems. The leaves are yellowish green to grey-green. The bark peels off the trunk. The bark is corky or papery. The young branches are often grey or white. The thorns are short and hooked. They occur in pairs and are very sharp. They are often bluish in colour. The leaves are 4-5 cm long and have about 5 pairs of side branches with 20 pairs of leaflets. The flowers are fat yellow sweet scented spikes. The pods occur in bunches. They are 4-10 cm long and 1.3 cm wide. They are straight, flat, pointed and papery. They are dark brown and are criss-crossed with a network of veins. The edges are thick. The gum is yellow and sweet.

There are about 1,350 Acacia species. Over 1,000 occur in Australia. Also as Mimosaceae.

Where it is found

It grows in tropical and warm places. It does best in deep sands. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 100-520 mm. It cannot tolerate frost. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Botswana, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The gum is eaten raw and is very sweet. The bark is used to help milk curdle.

The gum is eaten especially by children.

Edible parts

Gum, resin, bark - curdling milk

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Blouhaak, Gowe, Moloto

Synonyms

Acacia dulcis Marloth & Engl.; Acacia kwebensis N.E. Br.;