With a picturesque umbrella-shaped crown and thick branches, Vachellia sieberiana has a magnificent silhouette on the African savanna. Its spreading crown is often wider than the tree’s height of up to 18 m (59 ft) and is dense with bipinnate leaves. The yellow-brown, flaky bark tends to peel off in strips, inspiring Vachellia sieberiana’s common name paperbark acacia. Its white to pale yellow flowers grow in fragrant, ball-like condensed spikes and are followed by a substantial number of woody pods; these are a source of nutritious forage for livestock along with the leaves, though they contain prussic acid and can be dangerous in large quantities. The tree is also useful as a nitrogen-fixer and is planted as a windbreak or shade tree. Its wood is moderately hard and easy to work with in building furniture, as well as being a good source of firewood. Found in many semi-arid regions of Africa, the paperbark acacia is drought-tolerant and is particularly suited to low ground or riverbanks. It grows quickly in fertile, well-drained soil in a sunny position.

Suitable for outdoor planting in USDA plant hardiness zones 9b to 11

Minimum tested germination rate is 70%

Collected in 2021 in Kenya