Deciduous shrub or small tree with robust thorns, and small bright yellow spherical flower heads.
Scientific name: Acacia karroo Hayne
Common names: sweet thorn, karroo thorn, mimosa thorn
Family: Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
Status in Portugal: invasive species (listed in the Decreto-Lei nº 92/2019, 10 july)
Risk Assessment score: 22 | Value obtained according to a protocol adapted from the Australian Weed Risk Assessment (Pheloung et al. 1999), by Morais et al. (2017), according to which values above 13 mean that the species has risk of having invasive behavior in the Portuguese territory | Updated on 30/09/2017.
Synonymy: Acacia dekindtiana A. Chev., A. eburnea sensu auct., A. horrida auct., non Willd., A. inconflagrabilis Gerstner, A. karroo Hayne, A. natalitia E. Meyer
Last update: 30/06/2021
Native distribution area
South Africa to Zambia and Angola.
Distribution in Portugal
Mainland Portugal (Beira Litoral, Estremadura, Baixo Alentejo, Algarve).
Geographic areas where there are records of Acacia karroo
Other places where the species is invasive
Europe (Spain), South Africa, some regions of Australia.
Introduction reasons
For ornamental purposes and to form hedges.
Preferential invasion environments
Coastal dunes.
It is found dispersed along roadsides, but as yet in only a few locations in this country.
It tolerates adverse conditions like frost, drought, fire, strong winds and salt spray.
In the native distribution area it grows from 0-1800 m, from sand to silt soils, and in locations where there is some available water in the soil.
