Acacia caffra Bonsai seed Common Name: Hook Thorn or Cat Thorn Family: Fabaceae 
This beautiful tree is the most common naturally occurring acacia in the Witwatersrand National Botanical Garden. It may reach up to 14m and has an irregular, spreading crown. In some habitats it remains as a shrub. One of the most attractive features of the tree is the foliage which is bright green and feathery looking. The leaves are drooping which gives the canopy a lovely soft look. The name Acacia is derived from "akis " meaning a point or barb and caffra was a epiphet frequently bestowed on plants from the eastern parts of South Africa in previous centuries. The word caffra in Hebrew means "person living on the land". The Acacia caffra occurs naturally in a wide variety of habitats from coastal scrub to bushveld and highveld grasslands. The distribution appears to be slightly patchy with the species occurring in the four northern provinces; the coastal areas of Kwazulu Natal and the Eastern Cape and in some areas of the Western Cape. Another interesting feature of the tree is its tolerance of low soil pH which occurs where the soils are sandy and the rainfall is high. The Acacia caffra is able to withstand fire, which is important in areas such as grasslands and savannas where fire forms an integral part of the ecology. The tree is deciduous and is one of the first to shoot in spring. The new leaves are particularly pretty, being a soft, fresh green. The flower spikes are creamy white and sweetly scented. They appear from September to November with the main flowering occurring in October. The flower spikes are large and conspicuous and make a lovely show against the backdrop of the new leaves. They are followed by narrow, straight, brown seeds pods. The Van Son's Playboy (Deudorix vansoni) and Pennington's Playboy (D. penningtoni) butterflies breed in galls on the branches of the tree. The wood is dense and hard and beautifully grained. The foliage enjoyed by game and stock. The common hook-thorn is used traditionally for many purposes such as fencing posts, tanning and the beautiful rootwood is highly valued by Xhosa women for tobacco pipes. It is also used medicinally and is considered a lucky tree in traditional African beliefs. You're buying a pack of 10 seeds See lots more interesting, unusual and rare plant seeds by following the link below. CLICK HERE Let us guide you, through our knowledge and experince, so you too can have the confidence to start this rewarding hobby. We will supply you with the germination and care instructions for all our seeds and it is our mission to allways deliver the best advice and go the extra mile to satisfy our fellow grower's needs. We have to warn you, it becomes a life-time hobby. The rewards are just overwhelming sometimes. Seeing the first seeds sprout and eventually turn into beautifull flowering plants or training a young tree, that you have grown from seed, into a bonsai is a truly amazing experince. It's an extention of yourself... a legacy. Something that, with propper care, will keep evolving and growing long after you're gone. Should you require any seeds in small or wholesale quatities, please let us know and we will create a special listing for you on bidorbuy.co.za | 