The genus Acacia is a huge collection of fast growing shrubs and trees of the Fabaceae or pea family. These plants are found in tropical and sub-tropical climates around the globe. The name Acacia is derived from the Greek for a point or thorn, in reference to the typical thorniness of the species. While these plants are considered very useful in the landscape, our focus shall be on the species considered indigenous to the Americas.
Sweet acacia is perhaps the most commonly grown species for landscape use.
It is a rapid growing plant that is typically found as a multi-trunked, large shrub often occurring in dense thickets of the thorn forests of the west. The original name was Acacia farnesiana. This species was named in honor of a 17 th Century Roman Catholic Cardinal by the name of Odoardo Farnese. Once introduced to Europe, this plant was cultivated to produce the extremely fragrant flowers used in perfume production. It is also known as cassie in Europe and as Huisache in Spanish.