I first encountered a Huisache tree (pronounced weesatche) a number of years ago when rounding a corner on a San Antonio street.
My senses were startled by the bright yellow puff ball blooms and their amazing fragrance. That memory came back to me seven years ago when we moved to Wimberley, and I began to identify unfamiliar plants in our yard. A small tree with thorns and lacy compound leaves was growing fast right outside our bird watching window.
The Huisache ( Vach ellia farnesiana), also called sweet acacia, grows as a rounded shrub or a small tree. Each fragrant puff ball bloom is actually a cluster of tiny flowers. This plant is widespread across the Gulf Coast and inland approximately 200 miles. It blooms early and provides pollen for bees at a time of year when little else is available. As we are near the northern range, the beautiful blooms are often stymied by a winter freeze. I only saw our tree bloom once.
One year I noticed that our Huisache leaves were being eaten by a small insect. I soon discovered birds arriving to eat the insects. Each year I enjoyed watching a single yellow-rumped warbler dine on the insects bothering the Huisache. I use the past tense here because our beautiful Huisache did not survive last year’s deep freeze. There is a small trunk coming up from the roots, and I’m thankful to know Huisache is a fast growing tree. But this year I will miss my warbler friend.
Written by Becky Denton, Hays County Master Naturalist
