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.
