Camel thorn
Vachellia erioloba

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A shrub or tree. It varies greatly. It can be a spiny shrub 2 m high or a tree 16 m high. It can have a wide spreading crown. The bark is dark brown and deeply furrowed. The spines are 6 cm long. Often they have a swollen base. The leaves are compound. They have 2-5 pairs of leaf stalks with 8-15 pairs of leaflets on each. The flowers are bright golden yellow balls. The fruit is a thickened, short flat pod. It is 11 cm long by 4.7 cm wide. The seeds are dark reddish-brown.

There are about 1,350 Acacia species. Over 1,000 occur in Australia. The gum is 43% protein. Also as Mimosaceae.

Where it is found

It is a subtropical plant. It grows in dry woodland and arid stony areas. It grows in hot arid places. It can tolerate dry conditions and frost. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 40-900 mm. It grows between 120-1,675 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 9-11.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Botswana, Central Africa, East Africa, Israel, Mediterranean, Middle East, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The gum is eaten. It has an acrid taste. The roasted seed can be used as a substitute for coffee. The fruit pulp is eaten as a famine food.

The fruit pulp is occasionally eaten especially by children.

Edible parts

Gum, seeds - coffee, fruit

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds. The seeds are put into boiling water and soaked for 24 hours. They are then dried and planted 2 cm deep. It has a long taproot so is difficult to transplant. Plants need watering when young.

The plants are slow growing.

Its other names

Local names

Buungasiya, Ganab, Kameeldoring, Mogotlho

Synonyms

Acacia erioloba (E. Mey.) P.J.H. Hurter; Acacia giraffae auct plurim non Willd.; The plant Acacia giraffae by Willd. is a hybrid;