The Fastest Growing Acacia in Kenya

Acacia polyacantha is one of the indigenous Acacias worth considering when you want a tree that establishes quickly. It is regarded as one of the fastest-growing Acacia species, making it particularly useful where quick tree cover, shade, or restoration of degraded land is needed. Given suitable conditions, it can develop into a large tree with a spreading crown. Like several other Acacias, Acacia polyacantha produces gum. The gum is edible, although it is considered inferior in quality to the gum produced by Acacia senegal and Acacia seyal, which are better known commercially for gum arabic. Another interesting characteristic is its wood. The timber is resinous, hard and relatively resistant to termite attack, making it useful in areas where termites can quickly damage less durable wood. When flowering, the tree produces masses of pale flowers that attract bees and other insects, giving it additional value as a bee forage tree. Its fast growth also makes it useful for restoring tree cover and establishing indigenous woodland. For people who sometimes avoid indigenous trees because they believe all of them are slow-growing, Acacia polyacantha is a good example of the opposite. You can plant an indigenous Acacia and still get a fast-growing tree with shade, bee forage and useful timber. #IndigenousTrees #AcaciaPolyacantha #BeeForage #DrylandTrees #PlantNative