Also known by such descriptive names as “tear-blanket” and
“wait-a-minute,” catclaw acacia is one of the notoriously thorny shrubs
or small slender trees of the rocky hillsides and borders of desert
washes. Flowers are fragrant and, during the blooming period in May,
attract many insects, including honey bees, which gather and store
nectar that makes high quality honey. The stringbean-like fruits turn
red in late summer and, if abundant, make a spectacular show. These
fruits were ground into meal and used for food by Arizona and Mexican
Indians. Thickets of catclaw acacia provide havens of refuge for birds
and rabbits pursued by hawks or other predators.
_Acacia greggii_ Pea Family
[Illustration: CATCLAW-ACACIA]