Flower profile

Catclaw acacia

Senegalia greggii

Catclaw acacia (Senegalia greggii) is a shrub or small tree in the Fabaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–June across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Catclaw acacia is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–June.

6states where USDA records it

2Bloomipedia state lists include it

10,997U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Arizona, Nevada

Quick look

Senegalia greggii, formerly known as Acacia greggii, is a species of tree in the genus Senegalia native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
From Wikipedia's article Senegalia greggii, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Fabaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 6 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Arizona and Nevada. ^NatureServe
In Arizona, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. ^iNaturalist
In Nevada, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as yellow. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as mid spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 20 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 3,304 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #29 among the 132 flowers on our Arizona list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,420 research-grade sightings of it in Nevada, ranking #17 among the 132 flowers on our Nevada list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (866 records)

Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Arizona	Native	April–June	3,304
Nevada	Native	April–June	1,420

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G4 Apparently secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Arizona: Not listed Not on Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arizona. ^{AAC R3-3 App. A}
Nevada: Not listed Not on Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010). NatureServe: S3, vulnerable in Nevada. ^{NAC 527.010}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: UT (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Please leave it where it grows

Please don't pick or dig this flower: NatureServe ranks it S3 in Nevada. ^NatureServe

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records catclaw acacia in 6 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah.

Arizona counties with USDA records: Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Yavapai, Yuma.

Nevada counties with USDA records: Clark, Lincoln, Nye.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Catclaw acacia a high shade tolerance, high drought tolerance and low moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 6.5 to 8.5 and winter lows down to -13 °F.

Shade tolerance: High
Drought tolerance: High
Moisture use: Low
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium, fine
Soil pH range: 6.5 to 8.5
Minimum temperature tolerated: -13 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 250
Annual precipitation range: 3 to 20 inches
Minimum root depth: 12 inches
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Low
Growth rate: Slow
Lifespan: Long
Active growth period: Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed: Brown · Summer to Fall
Can be propagated by: bare root, container, seed
Commercial availability: Field Collections Only

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for SEGR4. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Acacia greggii.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 53 counties across 6 states; the most are in Texas (20), Arizona (13), California (8).

More from the Fabaceae family (114 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Lupines, White clover, Red clover, Eastern redbud, Purple crownvetch, Bird's-foot trefoil, Partridge pea, White sweetclover.

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Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile SEGR4.
iNaturalist, Senegalia greggii: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Senegalia greggii (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Arizona: Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025).
Arizona: Arizona prohibited noxious weeds (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-4-245).
Nevada: Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010).
Nevada: Nevada noxious weeds (NAC 555.010).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Senegalia greggii (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Bob Miller via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.