Skip to main content

Acacia greggii - catclaw acacia

Scientific Family
Fabaceae
Synonyms
Senegalia greggii, Acacia greggii var. arizonicas
Other common names
cat's claw
catclaw acacia
long-flower catclaw
wait-a-minute bush
devilsclaw
Gregg catclaw
Texas catclaw
Plant type
Trees
Riparian
Yes

Plant Description

Origin
Native
Similar species
Wright acacia

Long-lived spreading and thicket forming shrub or small tree. Heavily armed with curved spines. Highly adapted to harsh desert conditions.

Flowers densely clustered on cylindrical spikes, having more than 10 stamens; flat, curled, green seedpods dry to a dark brown color; leaves are grayish-green with oval leaflets; branches have wickedly sharp, curved, cat claw-like thorns.

Height
23 feet
Width
15 feet

Habitat

Habitat description

Flats, washes and slopes. Often forming thickets along streams and washes.

Plant Community
Desert Scrub
Grasslands
Interior Chaparral
Riparian
Low elevation
0
High elevation
4500

Leaves

Leaf color
Grayish-green
Leaf type
Compound
Leaf shape
Round or oval
Leaf margin
Smooth
Leaf attachment
Alternate
Leaf hairs
None
Spines
Yes
Leaf Drop
Deciduous

Bipinnately compound to 3 inches long. The central stalk of each leaf has 2 to 3 pairs of leaflet stalks which have 8 to 12 leaflets.

Flowers

Flower color
Pale yellow
Flower shape
Irregular
Tubular
No
First bloom month
April
Last bloom month
October

Dense, fragrant, catkin (cylindrical spike) to 2-1/2 inches long.

Flower clusters
Elongated

Fruit

Fruit color
Brown
Fruit type
Pod

Flattened twisted pod to 6 inches long and 1/2 inch wide with wax coated seeds, often narrowed between seeds; persists into winter.

Bark/Branches

Bark color
Gray to black
Bark texture
Scaly

Trunk up to 8 inches in diameter. Branches short, sharp 1/4 inch long curved spines resemble a cat's claws. Bark cracks and become scale-like with age, changing from gray to black.