A spiny small to medium-sized tree with rust-colored bark, Vachellia seyal is known as the red acacia and found in semi-arid areas of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. It is also believed to be the shittah tree referenced in the Book of Exodus, as the source of shittim wood used to make the Ark of the Covenant. In modern times, the tree has a number of agroforestry, medicinal, and edible uses. Its roots make the red acacia a good soil stabilizer, and as a member of the legume family, it can fix atmospheric nitrogen, which is beneficial to surrounding plants. Traditionally, its bark has been used to treat dysentery and skin infections, and its gum has had a wide variety of applications including intestinal ailments, colds, and hemorrhaging. The tree's gum is also edible; it has an acidic taste when fresh and is sometimes made into a syrup by mixing it with the fruit pulp of Balanites aegyptiaca. Vachellia seyal is cultivated as an ornamental tree for its attractive bipinnate leaves and clusters of fragrant yellow flowers. It grows 6 to 10 m (20 to 33 ft), occasionally up to 17 m (56 ft), at a quick rate and provides shade with its rounded canopy. The tree can tolerate poor soils and periodic flooding but requires full sun.

Suitable for outdoor planting in USDA plant hardiness zones 10a to 11

Minimum tested germination rate is 80%

Collected in 2022 in Kenya