Umbrella thorn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Umbrella thorn acacia |
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| Specimen of the nominate subspecies in Serengeti National Park | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Vachellia
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| Species: |
tortilis
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| Subspecies and varieties | |
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| Range of Vachellia tortilis | |
| Synonyms | |
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The umbrella thorn acacia (Vachellia tortilis) is a special tree. It is also known as umbrella thorn or Israeli babool. This tree is part of the Mimosa family. It grows in many parts of Africa and the Middle East. You can find it mostly in the savanna and Sahel regions. These areas include places like the Somali peninsula and Sudan.
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Where the Umbrella Thorn Grows
The umbrella thorn tree is found all over Africa. It grows in countries such as Tunisia, Morocco, Uganda, and Botswana. This tree can handle many different temperatures. It grows well where it is between 0 and 50 degrees Celsius (32 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit). It also needs about 100 to 1000 millimeters (4 to 39 inches) of rain each year.
What Makes the Umbrella Thorn Special
This tree can look very different depending on where it grows. In very dry places, it might be a small, thin bush. But in better conditions, it can grow up to 21 meters (69 feet) tall.
Its leaves are about 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) long. Each leaf has many tiny leaflets. A cool thing about this tree is its thorns. It has two kinds of thorns in pairs. One thorn is long, straight, and light-colored. The other is short, curved, and dark.
The flowers are small and white. They smell very nice and grow in tight bunches. The seeds grow inside flat pods. These pods are curled up like a spring.
The umbrella thorn is a tough tree. It can grow in many difficult places. It handles very salty soil, dry weather, and hot temperatures. It also grows well in sandy or rocky ground. Even young trees can survive some frost.
How the Umbrella Thorn Helps People and Nature
The wood from this tree is very useful. People use it to make furniture, wagon wheels, and fence posts. It is also used for animal cages. In ancient times, the Israelites used this wood to build the tabernacle and its furniture, like the Ark of the Covenant.
The tree grows many pods and leaves. These are great food for animals that live in the desert. In Tanzania, people use the bark to make string. The bark also provides a substance called tannin. This is used for tanning leather.
The tree also produces a sticky substance called gum. This gum is safe to eat. It can be used like gum arabic, which is used in many foods and products. Different parts of the tree, like roots and shoots, are used by local people. They make decorations, tools, and even traditional medicines.
The umbrella thorn is also important for fixing damaged land. It can grow in dry, windy, and salty areas. It also helps the soil by adding nitrogen. Nitrogen is a key nutrient that helps other plants grow. This happens because of tiny bacteria that live in the tree's roots.
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The pods are curled.
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It has a combination of paired straight and paired hooked thorns, from which the Afrikaans name derives, meaning "hook and prick".
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The southern subspecies heteracantha, here seen in flower, is smaller and often without a spreading crown.
A Tree in History
This tree is also famous for a historical event. A very important agreement, called the Pledge of Hudaybiya, took place under an umbrella thorn tree. This event involved Muhammad, a key figure in Islam. The Quran, a holy book, mentions this moment. It says that God was pleased with those who made the pledge under the tree. This shows how important this tree was in that historical event.
