Senegalia mellifera (Acacia mellifera) (100 seeds)

Senegalia mellifera (100 seeds)

Family: Fabaceae

Common names: Swarthaak, blouhaak, hakiesdoring, Black Thorn

It is very drought resistant, hardy, thickset, deciduous Acacia with vicious, hook thorns. The bark is purplish-black on the young stems and turns grey with age. The leaflets are blue-green, round and quite large for an Acacia. It blooms profusely from September to November with scented, white, puffball flowers that are especially fragrant at night. These are followed by small, beige pods that are very nutritious. It makes a good screen and security fence as it can form impenetrable thickets. It is a small tree with character and a good bonsai subject.

Sowing instructions: Put the viable seeds in a container and pour boiling water over them and leave to soak in the water overnight. Prepare a germination mixture of 2 parts potting soil and 1 part compost. Plant the seeds in this mixture. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of the germination mixture and put the tray in a warm, shady spot. Water the seed tray once a week, keep the soil moist but not wet.

Locality: Polokwane. Harvest: May 2025