Page 20 - The Villager August 2021

Nature

thE

sWEEt

thorn

BY JAMES CLARKE AND MARY
BROADLEY, PHOTOGRAPHS BY
JULIE CLARKE-HAVEMANN
A tree with
roots deep
into our
history.

n the January edition of The important role in South Africa’s spines making them as unapproachable
Villager, it was mentioned that development – in the country’s as an aggressive porcupine. But, as the tree
Ithe 2021 tree of the year is the industrial development, in its matures, such dramatic defensive measures
Vachellia karroo, better known as the agricultural development . . . and become less necessary and the thorns tend
sweet thorn, or soetdoring. even in human health. to be shorter and inconspicuous.
It is not our national tree but it deserves In maturity, it is usually a nicely shaped Sweet thorns are at their showiest in
to be. It is probably our widest-known tree with a domed evergreen crown early summer when their crowns erupt
and most prolific. It has at least a couple reaching at least thirty metres high, with with small, golden-yellow pompoms,
of dozen more names including cape the most spectacular thorns. which attract several species of butterflies
gum, cape thorn tree, cockspur thorn, In younger trees, the thorns are slender, including ten that are totally dependent on
karoo thorn, mimosa, white-thorn and, in strong white spikes up to 150mm long the mimosa-like blossoms. The blossoms
Afrikaans, the doringboom, karoodoring, with needle-sharp points. Needle sharp? metamorphose into knobbly crescent-
mookana and witdoring. In Ndebele, Indeed, its thorns (or spines as they are shaped pods that provide rich fodder for
it is the isinga and in Tswsana, it’s the properly called) have, for centuries, been countless browsers, domestic and wild.
mookana or mooka, while in Xhosa and used as sewing needles. The gathering in Australia deemed that
Zulu it is the umNga. The sweet thorn is a hardy tree and because of the international rules of plant
So many names but there was only relatively fast-growing – a pioneer plant classification, only Australia had the right to
one that is recognised by botanists, that will establish itself in most types of use the title ‘Acacia’. As a result, South Africa
worldwide – the Acacia karroo. That soil from sand to clay and throughout was obliged to change the generic name of
was its scientific name for generations. southern Africa, (except in montane all its 83 species of acacias.
But, alas, a committee of international regions), as far as Central Africa. Overnight, Acacia karroo became
botanists meeting in Australia has deemed In drier areas, sometimes picked over Vachellia karroo.
that South Africa cannot use this name by desperate browsers such as antelope Likewise, the umbrella tree and the black
anymore. and goats, knee-high sweet thorns have thorn and the knobthorn, along with all the
Local botanists are incensed. found a way to survive – they bristle with rest of the acacias can no longer be referred
The sweet thorn has played an a tangle of gleaming, closely-packed to as acacias.

18 • Issue 8 2021 • The Villager