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GENERAL
Origin
:
sub-tropical,
tropical
Humidity
:
extremely arid,
very arid
Propagation :
sowing and
pricking out,
cuttings, direct
sowing
Maintenance :
low
CONDITIONS
Urban climate :
vulnerable
Dessication :
resistant
Stagnant water :
resistant
Irrigation
:
low
Salinity/ppm :
moderate (1800
ppm)
Hardiness
:
-3°C
SHAPE
Type
:
tree
Height
:
12 m
Spread
:
12 m
Foliage
:
semi-evergreen
FLOWER
Colour
:
yellow
Size
:
1.3 cm
Period
:
March - May
Smell
:
scented,
pleasantly
scented, sweet
FRUIT
Type of fruit :
pod
Fruit size
:
15 cm
A gregarious, common savannah tree, A. seyal grows from west to east Africa through the Arabian
Peninsula: there are several botanical varieties. Its Arabic names include saffar ahmer; it is also
known as the shittah tree. A small tree, thorny and flat-topped, it is distinguished by its smooth
trunk and branches, covered in a mealy, rust-red powder, which when rubbed off reveals a bright-
green bark beneath. Sparsely branched, the sweetly-scented yellow flowers appear in the spring
before the feathery leaves, which have two straight, light-grey thorns at their base. Seed pods are
long and narrow. Trees can remain leafless for several months, depending on the occurrence of
rain. It grows on deep, heavy and poor soils with a high pH (6–8), and tolerates salts and periodic
flooding, hence the potential for planting in rowdah situations in the Arriyadh region. It can be
a frost-sensitive species. A. seyal is an important source of gum arabic, and of early dry-season
fodder. Propagated by scarified seed, large cuttings may strike root readily. Stands of var. seyal can
be established by direct sowing of pretreated seeds. Over 40 species of insects are associated with
the tree: beetles may damage seeds or attack the wood. A. seyal is suitable for planting as a shade
or shelter tree in stands or as a barrier or thorny hedge. With low maintenance requirements, the
tree can be cut down to the ground and a new canopy develops, although mature trees do not
recover well. Pruning of small branches necessary to keep shape.
33
Acacia seyal var. seyal,
Mimosaceae
Shittim Wood,
saffar ahmer, shittah tree