Ebenopsis ebano     
Pithecellobium flexicaule     
Texas ebony   
Fabaceae Family     

Form: multistemmed low-growing shrub, or single stem specimen tree; attractive dark green foliage
Seasonality: evergreen; partially deciduous in colder zones
Size: 15-30ft with equal spread; slow to moderate growth rate (slow when young, speeds up once established in ground)
Leaves: bipinnately compound, alternate, round leaflets
Flowers: small, creamy white to yellow puffball; fragrant; bloom in late spring
Fruit: dehiscent pod, dark brown, 3-6in long, 1-1.5in wide; pods persistent year round
Stems/Trunks: well-armed with many thorns; gray stems have distinctive zig-zag jointing

zig-zag twigs on Ebenopsis ebano (Pithecellobium flexicaule)

Range/Origin: southern Texas and adjacent Mexico
Hardiness: mid to low teens

LANDSCAPE VALUE:

• specimen tree
• impenetrable barrier plant
• privacy screen
• unruly when young, better shape with age

CULTURAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Exposure: full sun, takes reflected head
• Water: drought tolerant; faster growth with irrigation, best with 1-2 deep irrigations per month
• Soil: tolerant
• Propagation: seed, very hard seed coat, difficult to break dormancy
• Maintenance: low; pod cleanup; training when young if tree form desired

NOTES:

Ebenopsis ebano at the Sonoran Desert Museum

Pithecellobium flexicaule is an old botanical name.
The more current classification is Ebenopsis ebano.

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This page was first created September 22, 2001 and last modified June 1, 2006.

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email to: tmoore1@flash.net

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