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Sonoran Desert Acacias & Mimosas

Primarily trees and shrubs. Fruit a legume with usu. several to many beans. Flowers with small, nearly obscure petals, but long, conspicuous stamens. Flowers often numerous in densly packed spikes.

Catclaw Acacia

Acacia greggii

White-thorn Acacia

Acacia constricta

Medium to v. large shrub grows along washes. Extraordinarily sharp, curved spines. Short spikes of very sweet, cream-colored flowers in May-June. Bean pods are twisted and hardened at maturity. Detailed Description

Grows along washes in the mid elevations of the Sonoran Desert, but more frequently at upper elevations. Small, spherical clusters of yellow flowers. Long, thin-hulled bean pods. Large shrub, or sometimes tree-like. Double compound leaves have many small leaflets. Detailed Description

Wait-a-minute Bush	Mimosa aculeaticarpa biuncifera	Screwbean Mesquite	Prosopis pubescens
Medium sized shrub growing mostly at upper elevations of the Sonoran Desert in transition to chaparral. Double compound leaves with very numerous, minute leaflets that close up if damaged. Sharp, curved spines are in pairs at each node. Flower clusters are spherical and whitish. Detailed Description		Small tree of desert river banks and flood zones. Seed pods shaped into distinctive cork-screws. Short, sharp spines in pairs. Detailed Description
Fairy Duster	Calliandra eriophylla	Velvet Mesquite	Prosopis velutina
Small to medium sized shrub growing mostly on rocky bajadas and commonly at upper elevations of the Sonoran Desert in transition to chaparral. Double compound leaves with small leaflets. No spines. Flower clusters are spherical and have long pink stames. Detailed Description. This photo was taken at the Sonoran Desert Museum in Tucson by Wikipedia User:Melburnian.		Common desert tree found mostly along large washes and adjacent to riparian habitat. Long spikes of cream-yellow flowers. Beans mostly straight or slightly curved. Leaves with fine pubescence. Detailed Description
Baja Fairyduster	Calliandra californica	Huisache Sweet Acacia	Acacia farnesiana
Feathery leaves and puff ball inflorescences showing scarlet stamens. Xeriscape garden favorite. No throrns. Detailed Description		Small to medium sized tree, not widespread in the Sonoran Desert, but frequently used in xeriscapes. Paired white thorns. Spherical balls of yellow or golden orange flowers. Double compound leaves. Detailed Description.
Cooba Willow Acacia	Acacia salicina	Feather Bush	Lysiloma watsonii
Leaves are tough and strap like formed from expanded midrib. Cream-colored inflorescences are ball-shaped. Medium tree with weeping branches. Australian import. Detailed Description.		This favorite Sonoran Desert tree is widely planted in urban settings, but naturally its distribution was highly localized: Foothills of the Rincon Mountains east of Tucson, Arizona. Large, finely dissected leaves. Detailed Description

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