Plant Name
Scientific Name: Acacia greggii
Common Name: Catclaw Acacia
Plant Characteristics
Duration: Perennial, Deciduous
Growth Habit: Tree, Shrub
Arizona Native Status: Native
Habitat: Desert, Upland, Riparian
Flower Color: Pale yellow, Cream
Flowering Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
Height: Up to 23 feet (7 m) tall, but usually less
Description: The flowers are densely clustered on cylindrical flower spikes. The flowers are followed by up to 6 inch (15 cm) long, flat, curled, green seedpods that dry to a dark brown color. The leaves are green, alternate, and bipinnately compound with oval leaflets. The branches have wickedly sharp, curved, cat claw-like thorns that can easily scratch skin and snag clothing. Close encounters with this plant can leave you looking like you were in a cat fight.
Special Characteristics
Butterfly Plant – The flowers attract butterflies and numerous other insects, especially bees.
Fragrant – The flowers are sweetly and intensely fragrant with a wonderful floral honey-like scent. Plants in full bloom can be smelled from 10 feet (3 m) or more away.
Classification
Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Rosidae
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae – Pea family
Genus: Acacia Mill. – acacia
Species: Acacia greggii A. Gray – catclaw acacia
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