In the absence of these considerations, the entire landscape and ecology of the Arava could change, spelling disaster for the entire region. Back to Archive Back to Page 1 Twisted acacia in the Arava. ATV tracks can divert surface runoff away from the acacias. The tree attains a height of 4 to 7 meters, and has a flat canopy with bare younger branches. Each leaf splits into six pairs on either side of its stem, each leaf then splitting again into five to twelve additional pairs of leaves.
Thorns emerge at the joints where the leaves divide.
The twisted acacia has yellow flowers and a long narrow seed pod which curls around once or twice. This species begins to bloom in May and finishes flowering in December, its fruit ripening between September and July. It grows in most parts of the Negev, Arava, along the shores of the Dead Sea, and in the southern Sinai. The canopy of the tree is flat and the leaves are small, growing paired on either side of each stem. Each leaf divides into four to eight leaves, each of them in turn producing about ten more pairs of leaves.