koaoha
Acacia koaia · Fabaceae
koaoha (Acacia koaia) is a perennial tree in the Fabaceae family. It is native to North America. USDA records it as hardy in zone 9 and warmer, down to about 25°F.
At a glance
| Type | tree USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | native USDA |
| Mature height | 40 ft USDA |
| Light | full-sun USDA |
| Growth rate | rapid USDA |
| Soil pH | 4–7.4 USDA |
| Bloom | March–April USDA |
| Flower color | Yellow USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 9 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | canopy Derived |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It needs full sun. Its drought tolerance is rated low. It will not tolerate waterlogged soil — USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance as none. It is recorded on soils from pH 4 to 7.4 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 9.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 40 ft, making it a substantial woody plant. It grows quickly.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of March through April. Flowers are yellow.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, fine in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. Its fruit or seed heads are conspicuous, extending interest past flowering. Its active growth period is year round. Its winter foliage is dense, which makes it useful for year-round screening. USDA rates its lifespan as long.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 33 to 200 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 365 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 36 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.
Propagating it
Seed is the only propagation method USDA lists. Division and cuttings are not listed as options. USDA records no cold-stratification requirement, so seed should germinate without a chilling period.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals rate it barely palatable — the sourced basis for calling it deer-resistant. Its fire tolerance is rated low.
Role in a guild
Canopy. In a layered planting this is the tallest layer of a planting — it sets the light budget everything beneath it lives on. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Acacia
- coastal wattle Acacia cyclops
- koa Acacia koa
- Sydney golden wattle Acacia longifolia
- blackwood Acacia melanoxylon
Similar role and hardiness
- Puerto Rico palmetto Sabal causiarum
- tamarind Tamarindus indica
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol ACKO2, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, browse palatability, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, Edible, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, Type.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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