Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Sweet Acacia
Sweet Acacia is a small desert tree grown for its scent. From late winter into early spring it is covered in golden yellow puffball flowers with a strong, sweet fragrance. It grows about 15 to 20 feet tall and wide, often with several trunks and fine, feathery leaves. It needs little water once rooted and draws bees and birds.
Best for: late winter color and fragrance, an accent tree in a desert yard, bees and birds, and low-water landscapes.
Golden yellow puffball flowers open from late winter into early spring, and their sweet scent perfumes the air. It is grown as an accent tree for color and fragrance in the cool months.
It grows about 15 to 20 feet tall and wide, with fine, feathery leaves and a vase shape when trained. It can be grown as a large shrub or a multi-trunk tree. Space plants 12 to 20 feet apart.
The flowers draw bees, and birds use the tree for cover and nesting. Once rooted it needs little water beyond a few deep soaks in summer.
It has sharp thorns about an inch long. Dark brown pods drop and make a mess, so keep it away from pools. It sends up suckers at the base that need cutting.
- Screen or hedge12 ft apart
- Trees in a group12-20 ft apart
A new tree needs water every 1 to 2 days in summer for its first two weeks, or every 3 to 4 days when it is cool. Stretch that to about weekly by the second month, and keep watering deeply and regularly for about 3 years. After that, a deep soak out at the canopy edge about every 2 to 3 weeks in summer and about monthly in winter is plenty.
Remove the nursery stake when you plant. If the tree leans or the spot is windy, set two stakes outside the root ball, with soft, wide ties that leave a little room to sway. Take the stakes out after about a year. Tree acacias grow top-heavy, so many need stakes while young.
Cut suckers from the base to keep a clean trunk. Keep it to no more than a quarter of the canopy a year, and never thin out the middle so only branch tips are left. Finish any thinning before monsoon season starts in mid-June.
Frequent watering or soggy ground can lead to root rot and yellow leaves. Deep soaks with dry spells in between suit it best.
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.
When does Sweet Acacia bloom?
It blooms from late winter into early spring, and some trees start as early as late fall and keep going through March. Plant it where you will pass it in the cool months to enjoy the scent.
Are the flowers fragrant?
Yes. The golden puffball flowers have a strong, sweet scent that perfumes the air around the tree.
How big does Sweet Acacia get?
It usually grows about 15 to 20 feet tall and wide. Older, well-watered trees can grow larger, so give it room.
Does Sweet Acacia have thorns?
Yes. It has sharp, white thorns about an inch long, often in pairs, so wear gloves when you prune it. Keep it back from walkways and play areas.
Is it messy?
It drops a moderate amount of litter. Short, dark brown pods follow the flowers and drop, so plant it away from pools and patios you want to keep clean.
Why does it grow shoots from the base?
Sweet acacia tends to send up suckers at the base. Cut them off, especially while the tree is young, to keep a clean trunk.
How much water does Sweet Acacia need?
It needs little water once it is rooted. Give it a few deep soaks in summer, and water at the edge of the canopy rather than at the trunk.
How cold hardy is Sweet Acacia?
It is hardy to about 10°F, so a normal Valley winter is fine and it needs no frost cover.
Does it keep its leaves in winter?
It keeps most of them, though it can drop some leaves in winter. Expect it to look a little thinner until spring growth fills in.
Does it attract bees and birds?
Yes. Bees work the flowers, and birds and other wildlife use the tree for cover and nesting.
Can the pollen cause allergies?
Yes, some people are allergic to sweet acacia pollen. If pollen bothers you, keep that in mind before planting it next to a patio or bedroom window.
Is Sweet Acacia native to Arizona?
It grows wild from the southern US into South America. It is listed as native in a few spots in southern Arizona, and its native status there is debated.
Sweet Acacia for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Sweet Acacia is a small desert tree known for fragrant golden puffball flowers from late winter into spring. It stays about 15 to 20 feet tall and wide on little water. Below: size, bloom time, water, thorns, pods, suckers and cold.
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When does sweet acacia bloom in Phoenix?
It blooms from late winter into early spring, and some trees start in late fall. The golden puffball flowers are strongly fragrant and draw bees.
How big does a sweet acacia tree get?
It grows about 15 to 20 feet tall and wide, as a large shrub or a trained multi-trunk tree. Space plants 12 to 20 feet apart.
Sweet acacia thorns and pods
It has sharp, white thorns about an inch long, and short, dark brown pods follow the flowers and drop. Keep it back from pools and walkways.
Sweet acacia suckers
It tends to sprout suckers at the base. Cut them off as they appear, especially while the tree is young.
How to water sweet acacia
Once it is rooted it needs little water. Give it a few deep soaks in summer at the edge of the canopy, and plant it in soil that drains.
Is sweet acacia good for bees?
Yes, bees work the fragrant flowers, and birds use the tree for cover and nesting. Plant it where you can see the activity from a window or patio.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.