The tree can grow up to 20 metres high. It is slow-growing, very hardy to drought and fairly frost-resistant. The wood is dark reddish-brown in colour and extremely dense and strong. The seeds can be roasted and used as a substitute for coffee beans.
The name 'camel thorn' refers to the fact that giraffes commonly feed on the leaves with their specially-adapted tongue and lips that can avoid the thorns.
By Robur.q - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42942816
Common names by http://treesa.org/vachellia-erioloba/
- (Afrikaans) Kameel Blom, Grootdoring, Kameeldoring, Kameeldoringboom, Rooihoutdoring, Swartkameel, Swartkameeldoring, Vaalkameel.
- (English) Black-barked Camel Thorn, Camel Thorn, Giraffe Thorn, Giraffe Tree, Mimosa, Transvaal Camelthorn.