NPSOT Logo
Join / Renew / Gift Donate Shop Member Portal Language
Search

Native Plant Society of Texas

Search
Close this search box.

Prairie Acacia

Acacia angustissima

Other common name(s):

White ball Acacia, Fern Acacia, Whiteball Acacia, Prairie Wattle, White-ball Acacia

Family:

Fabaceae (Pea Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Central Great Plains, Chihuahuan Deserts, Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Southern Texas Plains, Southwestern Tablelands, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Broken Red Plains, Limestone Plains, Red Prairie
Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands, Chihuahuan Montane Woodlands, Low Mountains and Bajadas, Stockton Plateau
Carbonate Cross Timbers, Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Limestone Cut Plain, Western Cross Timbers
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland, Llano Uplift, Semiarid Edwards Plateau
Coastal Sand Plain, Floodplains and Low Terraces4, Laguna Madre Barrier Island and Coastal Marshes, Mid-Coast Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Southern Subhumid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Texas-Louisiana Coastal Marshes
Northern Nueces Alluvial Plains, Rio Grande Floodplain and Terraces, Semiarid Edwards Bajada, Texas-Tamaulipan Thornscrub
Caprock Canyons Badlands Breaks, Flat Tablelands and Valleys
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Herbaceous

Height

1
to
3
ft.

Spread

1.5
to
2
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Loam, Clay, Caliche, Well Drained, Dry

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade

Water Requirement

Low

Native Habitat

Grassland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

White

Bloom Season

Summer

Seasonal Interest

Nectar, Larval Host

Wildlife Benefit

Butterflies

Maintenance

Drought Tolerant. Fern acacia will go dormant or die to the ground in Winter, but grows back quickly in Spring. In frost-free zones this plant can become a tall shrub. Trim dead foliage before Spring growth. Good as a ground cover and in prairie restoration. Plant on north or east slope, but can also take full sun on a south slope with some supplemental water. Propagation: Seed, Softwood cuttings,

Comments

Blooms June-September. Occurs across much of Texas. A mounding, thornless acacia. Fine, feathery foliage is most attractive feature. Cream-colored round clusters of flowers. Resembles a shrub but is not woody. Colonizes by rhizomes. Larval host and nectar source to many butterflies and moths.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Synonym/s: Acaciella angustissima

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas.. 2) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Acaciella+angustissima&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 3) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ACAN11. 4) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=10283&locationType=County&mapType=Normal. 5) Wasowski and Wasowski, Native Texas Plants Landscaping Region by Region, 1991, pg 96. 6) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=26418#null, 7) https://www.spadefootnursery.com/fagaceae-acaciella-angustissima?rq=acacia%20angustissima, 8) https://garden.org/plants/view/79647/Timbre-Acaciella-angustissima/

Download a 1 page PDF file for this plant, suitable for sharing, printing, and plant sales. Includes an ecoregion map, and a QR code back to this page.

Downloading PDFs only works on desktop browsers

You can favorite this plant and others and maintain a list of your favorite native plants below. You can also unfavorite a plant and clear your list. Click on a plant to go to it.

      No Favorites

Get in Touch

Contact the State

Contact a local Chapter

State Office Phone: 830.997.9272

State Office Address:
Native Plant Society of Texas
PO Box 3017
Fredericksburg, TX 78624

Become a Member

Become an important part of a statewide community with over 4,000 members, who are united in our mission to promote Texas native plants!

Join Us!

Stay Informed

To keep up with what’s new at the Native Plant Society of Texas, subscribe to the state office email list. We won’t share your information with anyone.

Subscribe
Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram Camera
Member Portal
Chapter Tool Chest
Admin Login

Native Plant Society of Texas is a 501(3)(c) nonprofit organization This website and all content Copyright © Native Plant Society of Texas. All rights reserved. Content may not be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission. Contact the Webmaster.