41 responses

1. Hi Jennifer

   Thanks for visiting Plantbook and apologies for the delayed response.

   It sounds like your tree lost the uppper-most branches as a result of the dry conditions and transportation.

   I’d recommend leaving the tree for a full season before trimming anything as it may sprout new growth as it recovers. You’ll probably find that the tallest branches do not recover and the tree will form a few branches. Once you notice strong growth, select the strongest of these as the new leading branch to give your tree more height and trim off the others. The lower side shoots are feeding the developing trunk, so do not rush to remove them for at least 3-4 seasons.

   Flourish!
   Glenice

2. Hi Glenice
   Please could you give me some for advice on my Acacia Paper Bark tree (100L size) which I bought in January?
   It was severely dehydrated and very dry when I received delivery of the tree 🙁
   After I planted it (with some compost and fertiliser) and watered it regularly, the few leaves on the branches at the top turned green and it was looking healthier. But then after a few weeks, the leaves died and the branches were dry and brittle. My gardener and I pruned the dry, dead branches and have carried on watering it – now small branches & leaves are sprouting out from the bottom of the tree upwards to about the middle of the trunk. But the top half of the trunk remains dry, with no new branches/leaves.
   My question is ….. do I cut the new small branches/leaves near the bottom off? If I did this, would it then encourage the tree to start growing new branches with leaves up at the top again? Or do I cut the top of the tree trunk off?
   I obviously don’t want the tree to grow with branches starting at the bottom. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
   Thank you!

3. Hi Glenice
   Thanks for your response to my question.
   I like your Plantbook website its so informative.

   All the best

4. Hi Martin

   Thanks for visiting Plantbook.

   A tree and its root system never stop growing as it will constantly need to produce food to sustain itself.

   It’s advisable to plant Vachellia sieberiana no less than 8m from any structure but many enthusiastic homeowners neglect to think of the long-term implications of planting a tree too close to structures.

   If the crack in your boundary wall is not worsening, it could be that the roots have changed direction and may not cause further damage. As the tree is well-established, this sounds like a case of “wait-and-see”. In the meantime you can enjoy the shade it provides along with the wildlife it attracts.

   Flourish!
   Glenice

5. Hi Glenice

   I am interested to know once this tree is fully grown does the root system continue to be grow horizontally or do they stop growing.
   It seems like neighbour planted one less than 1.5m close to our boundary wall,sliding gate and paving area about 15 years ago.
   I notice a crack on our boundary wall but it seems to have stopped getting wider.I suspect he would know to plant this tree 3-6 metres away from
   the boundary wall.

6. Hi Emi

   Thanks for visiting Plantbook.

   It sounds like your tree may be suffering from transplant shock which is fairly common with newly planted acacias.

   If your tree adjusts to its new environment, it should recover after a few months and start producing new shoots. Remember to keep the soil moist without over-watering.

   Flourish!
   Glenice

7. We had our two Paper Bark Thorn Trees planted two weeks ago. The leaves on one are suddenly turning light brown and falling off. Should we be concerned or does it lose it’s leaves being middle March ? The other one is doing well

8. Hi Patrick

   Thanks for visiting our site.

   The choice of tree will depend on your location as it would depend on the climate, particularly water and frost in your location.

   Here are some smaller-growing species which you could consider:
   – Senegalia caffra (Common hook thorn) (4-8m)
   – Vachellia gerrardii (Red thorn) (4-8m)
   – Vachellia hebeclada (Candle-pod thorn) (3-7m)
   – Vachellia rehmanniana (Silky thorn) (3-8m)
   – Vachellia robusta subsp robusta(Robust thorn) (3-8m)

   Flourish!
   Glenice

9. Hi Glenice, what would be smaller variety with less aggressive roots that I could plant close to the house?

   Thank you for all valuable work;)

10. Hi Barend

    Thanks for visiting Plantbook.

    Your trees are responding to their environment and are possibly branching low because they receive a lot of sunlight and are not competing with surrounding vegetation for light.

    To encourage a taller canopy you may need to prune some of the lateral branches. Remember to leave at least 30% of the branches as these feed the trunk to allow it to grow broader to stabilize the tree.

    Flourish!
    Glenice

11. Hi
    Why do my Vachellia sieberiana var. woodii only grow the Branches of the “Canopy”, but not grow in height. The trunk stays short although the Branches are growing Rapidly and spreading very wide. The tree is about 2 years old.
    Please Advise if possible.
    Ty in Advance

12. Hi Nico

    Thanks for visiting Plantbook.

    It’s generally safe to transplant a young sapling when it’s roughly 15-20cm tall.

    Flourish!
    Glenice

13. Hi Glenice,

    I have a seedling about three months old (in a pot with another plant), and I want to transfer it to its own pot. At what age and season would you recommend I replant it?

    Regards

14. Hi Soria

    Thanks for visiting Plantbook.

    It’s best to contact a bonsai specialist for advice of this nature as the trimming of roots needs to be done correctly in order not to harm your tree.

    Flourish!
    Glenice

15. I bought a Vachellia Siebenana from a nursery in a small black bag and want to re plant it in a flat bonsai pot, can i cut the “penwortel” smaller?

16. Hi Sipho

    Thanks for visiting Plantbook.

    The lifespan of any plant will depend on it’s growing conditions.

    In a typical garden setting, Vachellia sieberiana can survive for at least 70 years.

    Flourish!
    Glenice

17. Hello,

    What would you say is the lifespan of this tree?

18. Hi Walter

    Thank or visiting Plantbook.

    Congratulations on your propagation success.

    In the initial stages, the root and foliage growth is almost the same but will depend on the conditions.

    They prefer minimal disturbance in transferring them to larger containers, so when they reach a height of 15-20cm, transfer them to a 20l container which will be their home for a year or two. By then they should be ready to plant in the ground.

    Flourish!
    Glenice

19. Hi Glenice
    I have been admiring a massive paperbark in our neighbourhood for many years. End last year, I gathered some seeds from below it. I planted 26, 12 came up. 10 seedlings are doing very well. I so chuffed ! 🙂 I have alteady replanted them once, successfully.
    The seedlings are now +-20cm high and in containers +-15cm deep.
    How much depth do the roots require as factor of tree height, please ?
    Thank you for your very useful service !
    Kind regards

20. Hi Graham

    Thanks for visiting Plantbook.

    A tree with a curved stem can have character and often will develop a crown that will allow it to balance itself.

    Your planting distance of 2m from the house is however of concern as the roots are likely to cause damage later. The recommended planting space for this species from any structure is 6-8m.

    As the tree is not fully grown you may wish to consider removing it and possibly replacing it with a smaller growing species.

    Flourish!
    Glenice

21. A “professional” planted a paper bark thorn tree about 2 m tall with a very curved stem. The tree is totally lop-sided and in danger of falling over. If we remove the top foliage altogether, will it survive? It is only about 2 m from the wall of the house. The alternative is to uproot it altogether. Appreciate your help.

22. Hi Elarna

    Thanks for visiting Plantbook.

    Oh, dear! Thankfully these trees are quite hardy so hopefully yours will recover. It may take a while to produce new growth as it will take time to recover from the damage to its roots.

    Your tree should be quite established so you will have to give it time to recover. Avoid over-watering as that may cause root rot.

    All the best.
    Glenice

23. Good day,
    Without knowing any better, I trimmed a side root of my paperback causing some paving to lift.
    It has put my 6 year old tree under great distress & it hasn’t produced any new leaves since spring.
    Any advice on a good root nourishment to help repair the damage I’ve caused?

24. Hi Yolanda

    Thanks for visiting Plantbook.

    The key for any transplant is to dig as large a hole as possible to ensure minimal interference with the roots.

    Flourish!
    Glenice

25. What is the safest
    way to transplant our 2 year old paper bark thorntree?

26. Hi Cliff

    Thanks for visiting Plantbook.

    Please do not trim the roots of your trees as this may weaken them and may cause them to die or fall over.

    If they’re fairly large, you probably won’t get much more growth from them. The paving can be easily fixed, but replacing a tree that provides shade, habitat for creatures and enhances the environment will take time and resources.

    Flourish!
    Glenice

27. Hi there,

    At my business premises we have a couple of beautiful paperbark trees, however they are becoming a problem regarding paving and a boundary wall. Is it OK to trim the roots, or will this kill the tree?

28. Hi Helen

    Vachellia sieberiana grows a horizontally spreading root system which helps to anchor the tree. Roots grow in response to the growing conditions, so you may find that they will, in time, lift the paving. Ideally, it is safe to plant this tree at least 8m from any structure to avoid any damage.

    Flourish!
    Glenice

29. Hello
    Want to plant paper bark thorn tree (acacia) how deep will the roots get and will it lift up the paving that is around it
    Thank you Helen

30. Hi Gafarou

    Thanks for visiting Plantbook.

    We’re based in South Africa, so are not familiar with most of the species on your list.

    Maturity age will vary depending on the growing environment and species.

    Flourish!
    Glenice

31. Hi. I think my massage mets you well.
    l want to know the initial maturity age of west african trees:
    Acacia sieberiana
    Adansonia digitata
    Annaona senegalensis
    Anogeissus leiocarpus
    Balanites aegyptiaca
    Borassus aethiopum
    Detarium microcarpum
    Khaya senegalensis
    Kigelia africana
    Parkia biglobosa
    Pteroarpus erinaceus
    Tamarindus indica
    vitellaria paradoxa
    Vitex doniana
    Regards…

32. Hi Justin

    Thanks for visiting Plantbook.

    Yes, Vachellia sieberiana (Paperbark tree) has an aggressive root system. Ideally, they should be planted no less than 6m from any structure to avoid damage when the tree is mature.

    I would recommend you transplant them to a different location.

    Flourish!
    Glenice

33. Hi Glenice,

    I have recently planted two paper bark trees along my driveway, they are about 4m apart and about 1m from the boundary wall and pretty close to the driveway. I just started reading up on this tree and I have picked up that they have an aggressive root system. Is this true and if so should I move them. I’m scared they damage the wall and the driveway.
    Regards
    Justin

34. Hi Louie

    Thanks for visiting Plantbook.

    There is not a lot of information available on the lifespan of many indigenous trees, possibly because of the effect of different growing conditions. However, research has shown that cultivated trees tend to have shorter lifespans than those growing naturally in the wild.

    I’ve noticed that some Vachellia sieberiana that were planted around Johannesburg about 20 years ago are dying. Possibly because they’ve reached old age, or due to other circumstances.

    So, at 16-20 years, your tree could be at the peak of its life. Hopefully you’ll manage to propagate some young trees from its seeds to ensure the future generations can benefit from this majestic tree.

    Flourish!
    Glenice

35. Hi

    I’ve got a beautiful paperbark in my garden in Pretoria, estimated age between 16 and 20 years. What is the maximum age for a paperbark?

    Kind regards
    Louié

36. Hi Jolene

    Thanks for visiting Plantbook and congratulations on your new home.

    Vachellia sieberiana is a lovely tree for a large garden. I would recommend a space of not less than 10 metres from your pool.

    All the best.

    Flourish!
    Glenice

37. Hello
    I have had my paperbark in a large pot for about 8 years now . We have recently bought a new house with a large garden. I would like to plant it about 5m from our pool. Would this be recommended or would its root system interfere?
    Looking in advise and recommendations.
    Thank you
    Jolene

38. Hi Willie

    Thanks for visiting Plantbook.

    It sounds like your vahcellia sieberiana (Paperbark thorn) may be getting too much water. Allow the soil to dry completely before watering again.

    Flourish!
    Glenice

39. Have transplanted my 10 year old Paperbark 1 year ago.Settled very well.Past 2 months ailing.Forms new leaves but they turn yellow and die off. Watering and feeding.Any advice please.
    Regards
    Willuw

40. Hi Giu

    Thanks for visiting Plantbook.

    I absolutely agree with you.

    Flourish!
    Glenice

41. Thank you for this information
    I love this tree it is so “Africa ”
    Cheers