Camelthorn tree (Vachellia erioloba)

If you have ever seen a movie about Africa then chances are that you have seen the stunning Camel thorn tree. Those large trees standing in desert areas with the umbrella like canopy is a Camel thorn tree. Although not widely used in woodworking in Africa it is still a remarkable tree that has many other uses for man and animals alike.

Camel Thorn Tree: About.

The Camel thorn tree is a slow growing deciduous tree that does really well in poor soils and harsh climates. The Camel thorn grows from a small 2-meter thorny bush to a 17-meter large tree. It is a protected tree in South Africa and for good reason.

The flowers of this tree is sweet smelling fluffy round balls that starts to flower in late winter and last through summer. Flowering in Camel thorn trees only happens when the tree reaches an age of ten years.

The fruits can vary in shape from cylindrical to half-moon in shape. They can be up to 150 mm long and 50mm wide with a hard woody exterior and a soft spongy interior. The fruits do not open at all even when they fall to the ground in winter.

The wood of the Camelthorn tree is reddish brown and strong, dense and hard. It does turn well and is used in the manufacture of furniture but most notably known as an excellent firewood throughout the area that it grows.

The name Camel thorn comes from Giraffes eating the leaves of the tree. The Giraffe has a specially adapted tongue that can circumvent the potent thorns and reach the leaves of the tree. An interesting thing about the Camel thorn tree is a natural self-defense mechanism that the tree has to protect itself from over grazing by animals such as the Giraffe.

If too much of the leaves are eaten in one sitting by an animal the tree secretes a garlic smelling compound into the leaves that makes it taste bad to the animal. This chemical is also picked up by other Camel thorn trees in the surrounding are as a warning for then too also start secreting the compound as protection against grazing animals.

Ecology

The Camel thorn tree has a rather large area that it inhabits. It grows from the Northern Cape to the Limpopo province in South Africa. Other countries where the Camel thorn tree grows is Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Northern Mozambique and Swaziland.

The only sizable tree grows in the South African deserts. Growing in sandy soils in areas with an annual rainfall between 40 and 900 mm this tree can withstand high temperatures and extreme frost.

In dryer areas the Camel thorn tree can often be found along river beds while the taproot can decent 60 meter into the ground in search of water. The Camel thorn tree is often a good indication of underground water in dry areas.

Camel Thorn Tree Flower.

Uses.

While the Camel thorn tree has an extremely durable timber because it is a protected species in South Africa, it is not a common species for woodworking. The timber is hard and dense and a couple of friends who have worked with it before says that like most hardwoods it has a high blunting effect on cutters. It does turn well and smaller pieces can readily be found for knife handles.

The Camel thorn tree has many uses for both man and animal and I have listed a couple below.

The wood is highly prized as a firewood and this is also the reason that it is a protected species in south Africa because of the unsustainable harvesting of the wood.

The pods that fall of the tree in winter makes for an excellent fodder for animals like cattle, kudu, eland and elephant.

Humans can also eat the pods when ground up and made into a porridge. This is highly nutritious and contains a good amount of plant proteins.

The gum of the tree is also edible by both man and animals.

The root bark is still used by the Bushmen of the Kalahari to make quivers for their arrows.

Seeds can be roasted and ground up to make a form of coffee.

The camel thorn tree also has many medicinal uses.

The powdered pods can be used to treat ear infections by making a paste and putting it on the infected area.

The gum can be used to treat gonorrhea.

Powdered burnt bark can be used as a treatment for headaches.

The root can be used in the treatment of toothache. I assume by chewing on it.

Another use of the root is in the treatment of TB. The root is boiled and the solution the swirled around in the mouth and then spit out. Don’t ask me how effective this is.

Camel Thorn Tree Seed.

Cultivating the Camel thorn tree

Although the Camel thorn can take between 4 and 6 weeks to germinate, it is a species that can easily be grown from seeds. Another awesome trick that the Camel thorn tree has is that the seeds can lay dormant for 50 years and then still germinate after all that time.

I have used the following method to germinate the seeds. The seeds are covered in an extremely tough membrane that needs to be weakened in order to make germination easier.

This is done by either filing away the membrane or boiling water then leaving the seeds to soak for 48 hours to soften the membrane and the cutting away the outer layer with a sharp knife. After this is, done transfer the seeds to seedling trays with river sand in it and keep it moist until germination. Remember this can take 4 to 6 weeks.

Transplanting to nursery bags can be done when the seedlings are about 5cm. Care must be taken not to damage the taproot.

The Camel thorn tree makes for an excellent bonsai and is suitable for large gardens and parks. Beautiful flowers will start to form after the tree reaches 10 years of age.