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Tuesday - September 25, 2007

From: Brownwood, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Trees
Title: Care of huisache tree (Acacia farnesiana)
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I bought a huisache tree, about one ft. tall, last spring. How do I prune, stake, and care for it as it grows? Do they usually bloom in Brownwood, Tx ?

ANSWER:

Acacia farnesiana (huisache or sweet acacia) is a native of south Texas. The northern edge of its natural range is quite a bit south of Brownwood. According to the Texas A & M Horticulture database, Zone 8 is the recommended USDA minimum cold hardiness zone for huisache. Brownwood is in Zone 8a, the northern portion of the zone, so depending on the severity of the winter, your huisache may or may not flower. Late frosts often kill the flower buds. Also, since you are really out of its natural range, in a severe winter there is the possibility that it could freeze to the ground.

Typically, the tree has multiple trunks that fan out as it grows. There really isn't a need to stake it and pruning it is up to you, depending on the shape and size you want for your tree. If you want it to be a single-trunk tree, then you will need to prune for that shape. However, it makes an attractive dense shrub without pruning.