Senegalia caffra (Thunb.) P.J.H.Hurter & Mabb.

common hook-thorn, cat thorn

Afr

gewone haakdoring, katdoring

isiZulu

umTholo

IsiXhosa

Description

Family:

Fabaceae

Order:

Fabales

Description

Medium to large deciduous tree with a flat-topped crown. Leaves bipinnate, bright green. Flowers creamy-white, fragrant, in spring. Pods flat, brown. Important for browsing and ecosystem restoration.

Plant Details

Height

8 - 15 m

Thorns

Paired, straight, up to 5 cm long.

Soil

Prefers well-drained sandy or loamy soils.

Moderate to fast

Growth Rate

8 - 15 m

Size

50 - 70 years

Lifespan

Flower Colour

Flowering Season

, , ,

Horticultural Zones

7-Jun

pH

Prefers well-drained sandy or loamy soils.

Soil

Full sun

Aspect

Moderate

Frost Tolerance

Moderate

Drought Resistance

Companion Plants

Often found with Acacia, Combretum, and Terminalia species.

Caterpillars

Supports multiple butterfly species including Pieridae.

Associations

Descriptions

Supports diverse insect pollinators; pods eaten by birds and mammals; leaves browsed by large herbivores. Fixes nitrogen.

Flowers and fruits

Flowers attract bees and butterflies; pods dispersed by animals.

Birds

Important for nectarivorous and frugivorous birds; provides shelter.

By Seeds:

Seeds collected from mature pods; scarification improves germination; sow fresh.

By Cuttings:

Difficult; mainly propagated by seed.

Traditional Uses

Used for fodder, timber, and traditional medicine; fixes nitrogen.

Plant Details

Height

Description

Thorns

Description

Leaves

Description

Size

Growth Form

Size

Size

Size

Lifespan

Size

Flower Colour

Size

Flowering Season

Size

Horticultural Zones

Size

pH

Size

Soil

Size

Aspect

Size

Frost Tolerance

Size

Drought Resistance

Description

DESCRIPTION

Height

DESCRIPTION

Leaves

DESCRIPTION

Thorns

DESCRIPTION

BSS

Ecoscore

Host plant Nectar Grazing

Link to PlantzAfrica.co.za

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Distribution

Companion Plants

Description

Caterpillars

Associations

Leaves

Leaves

Flowers and fruits

Leaves

Birds

Leaves

Mammals

Leaves

By Seeds:

Leaves

By Cuttings:

Leaves

Traditional Uses

traditional uses