This medium to large evergreen tree is one of the most popular garden trees that is widespread throughout the country. Flowers: Clusters of sweetly fragranced attractive yellow pom-pom flowers grouped towards the branch tips. Season: October to February Bark: Rough, fissured in mature trees. Thorns: Strong thorns 30 – 250 mm long, in pairs, making it an effective high-level screen. Invasive roots, so keep away from paths and buildings. Pods: Sickle-shaped brown pods Drought and frost hardy; excellent windbreak in areas with few trees. An excellent fodder tree on farms and in nature reserves. Wildlife: Host plant of charaxes, hairtail and spotted blue butterfly species. Produces good quantities of pollen and nectar for bee farmers. Habitat: Most habitats: Bushveld, Moisture: low Soil: clay, loam, acid, shale Wildlife: insects and insectivorous birds. Growth: fast Provincial distribution: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape