Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Cat Claw Acacia
Cat Claw Acacia is a tough Arizona native that grows as a large shrub or small multi-trunk tree about 10 to 20 feet tall. In spring it fills with fragrant, cream to pale yellow flower spikes that bees love. It lives on very little water once rooted and makes a dense screen or barrier. It is used for native gardens, wildlife habitat and restoring desert areas.
Best for: native and wildlife gardens, bees and birds, dense screens and barriers, and restoring desert areas on almost no water.
The fragrant spring flowers are highly attractive to bees, and native birds and other wildlife use it. It is also used to restore disturbed desert areas.
It grows into a dense, twiggy shrub about 10 to 20 feet tall and 15 to 25 feet wide. The curved thorns make it a security or perimeter planting. Space plants 12 to 20 feet apart.
Once rooted it gets by on little to no extra water. A monthly deep soak in the hottest months helps it grow.
The hooked thorns catch and tear clothing and scratch skin. Wear gloves and long sleeves when pruning or working near it.
- Dense barrier12 ft apart
- Open screen20 ft apart
Right after planting, soak it every 1 to 2 days in summer, or every 3 to 4 days in the cooler months. By the second month, aim for about once a week in summer, and keep regular deep soaks going for about 3 years. Once rooted it lives on very little, though a deep monthly soak at the canopy edge from May to September helps.
Take off the nursery stake at planting, and stake the tree only if it cannot hold itself up or sits in a windy spot. Use two stakes outside the root ball with soft ties, and leave a little sway to build a stronger trunk. Remove them in about a year.
The curved thorns grab, so wear gloves and long sleeves when pruning. Remove no more than a quarter of the canopy in a year, and never strip the inner branches so leaves are left only at the tips. Finish any thinning before monsoon season starts in mid-June.
Acacias do not like wet feet. Soil that stays soggy can rot the roots and yellow the leaves, so let it dry between deep soaks.
Drops its leaves in winter and leafs out again in spring.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Is Cat Claw Acacia native to Arizona?
Yes. It grows wild across most of Arizona, on rocky hillsides, desert flats and along washes, and across the Southwest into northern Mexico.
How big does Cat Claw Acacia get?
It usually grows about 10 to 20 feet tall and 15 to 25 feet wide, and more water means a bigger plant. Plant it well away from walks, patios and pools.
Why is it called cat claw?
It is named for its hooked thorns, shaped like a cat's claw, which catch clothing and scratch skin. Wear gloves and long sleeves when you prune or work near it.
When does Cat Claw Acacia bloom?
It blooms mainly in spring, with cream to pale yellow flower spikes about 2 inches long, and some flowers continue into summer and fall. Plant it where you can enjoy the fragrance from a distance.
Are the flowers fragrant?
Yes. The flowers are fragrant and highly attractive to bees, so place it away from doors and seating areas if bees bother you.
Does it attract wildlife?
Yes. Bees work the flowers, and native birds and other wildlife use it for cover. Plant it in a native or wildlife garden.
How much water does it need?
It needs very little once rooted and survives without extra water. A monthly deep soak from May through September helps it grow faster.
Can it be a tree?
Yes. It is often multi-trunked and shrubby, but it can be trained into a small multi-trunk or single-trunk tree. Prune only to train that shape.
Does it lose its leaves?
Yes. Its gray-green leaves drop in winter, and in drought it can drop them at other times too. A deep soak in the hot months keeps more leaves on.
How cold hardy is Cat Claw Acacia?
It is hardy to about 0°F, far colder than the Valley gets, so it never needs frost cover.
Is it good for a security planting?
Yes. The dense, thorny branches make it a strong screen, barrier or perimeter planting. Space plants 12 to 20 feet apart along the line you want to block.
What do the pods look like?
They are twisted, curling bean pods up to about 4 inches long. Rake them up if you want a tidy look.
Cat Claw Acacia for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Cat Claw Acacia is a native desert shrub or small tree found across most of Arizona. It lives on very little water and fills with fragrant spring flowers for bees. Below: size, water, flowers, wildlife, thorns, pruning and cold.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Cat Claw Acacia, an Arizona native
It grows wild across most of Arizona as a large shrub or small tree. It is used in native gardens, for wildlife habitat and to restore desert areas.
How big does Cat Claw Acacia get?
About 10 to 20 feet tall and 15 to 25 feet wide, depending on water. Space plants 12 to 20 feet apart for a screen or barrier.
Cat Claw Acacia flowers and bees
Fragrant, cream to pale yellow flower spikes open in spring and are highly attractive to bees.
How to water Cat Claw Acacia
Once rooted it needs little to no extra water. A monthly deep soak from May through September helps growth.
Cat Claw Acacia thorns
The hooked, claw-like thorns catch and tear clothing and scratch skin. Wear gloves and long sleeves when pruning.
Training Cat Claw Acacia as a small tree
Nursery plants are trained into multi-trunk or single-trunk tree forms. Prune only to train it; otherwise it needs very little pruning.
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