Acacia Tree
Acacia Tree
Tree
A thorny tree iconic to the African savanna. It survives long dry seasons and has deep roots.
Name Story
Vachellia tortilis
means “Vachell's acacia, with twisted pods”
What does its name mean?
- Vachellia — named after the Reverend George Vachell, a plant collectora person's name
- tortilis — twistedLatin torquere ‘to twist’
Half the name honours a person — the Reverend George Vachell, who collected plants long ago — and half describes the tree: ‘twisted’, for its curly, spiralling seed pods. Its English name, ‘Umbrella Thorn’, comes from its wide, flat-topped crown.