Acacia verticillata
Star acacia, prickly moses, Prickly Moses
(c) Tony Rebelo, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Shrub / Tree · Not Native
Acacia verticillata (Star acacia) is a non-native California shrub / tree in the Fabaceae family, recognized by whorled needle-like leaves with spine tips are unique.
Star acacia is a naturalized shrub found in the central coast, San Francisco Bay, and southern California coastal regions in disturbed areas at elevations below 150 meters. Flowering from February to April, this plant produces pale yellow flowers in small racemes with 1 to 3 heads. Growing as a small shrub or tree under 5 meters tall, it features distinctively ridged twigs and spine-like leaf tips. Its leaves are simple, needle-like, and typically arranged in whorls, measuring 1 to 2 centimeters long and less than 1.5 millimeters wide with a prominent midvein. The fruit is a dark brown, papery pod 2 to 9 centimeters long, often with light yellow seed arils forming a distinctive cap.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 13 sympatric species; whorled needle-like leaves with spine tips are unique
Habitat and range
Habitat: Uncommon. Disturbed areas
Elevation: < 150 m
California counties: Los Angeles, Marin, San Francisco, Monterey, Contra Costa, San Luis Obispo, San Diego, Sacramento, Santa Clara, Santa Barbara
Outside California: native to southeastern Australia, Tasmania
Bloom period
Acacia verticillata blooms Feb-Apr.
How to tell it apart
vs Salix: Acacia has yellow ball-shaped flowers; Salix has catkins with small individual flowers and visible scales.; vs Paraserianthes: Acacia has simple blade-like leaves; Paraserianthes has twice-compound feathery leaves.; vs Eucalyptus: Acacia has yellow ball flowers; Eucalyptus has white to cream flowers with prominent stamens from a cap.; vs Vachellia: Acacia has simple blade-like leaves and no spines; Vachellia has feathery leaves and paired spines.; vs Quercus: Acacia has yellow fuzzy ball flowers; Quercus has separate male catkins and tiny female flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Acacia verticillata native to California?
No. Acacia verticillata is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Acacia verticillata bloom?
Acacia verticillata blooms Feb-Apr.
Where in California does Acacia verticillata grow?
Acacia verticillata occurs in Los Angeles, Marin, San Francisco, Monterey, Contra Costa, San Luis Obispo, San Diego, Sacramento and other counties, at elevations of < 150 m.
What plant family does Acacia verticillata belong to?
Acacia verticillata is in the Fabaceae family, genus Acacia.
What habitat does Acacia verticillata grow in?
Acacia verticillata grows in Uncommon. Disturbed areas.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Acacia baileyana — Cootamundra wattle
- Acacia cyclops — Western coastal wattle
- Acacia dealbata — Silver wattle
- Acacia decurrens — Green wattle
- Acacia longifolia — Sydney golden wattle
- Acacia mearnsii — Black wattle
- Acmispon americanus var. americanus — American bird's foot trefoil
- Acmispon argophyllus — Silver birds foot trefoil
- Acmispon argophyllus var. adsurgens — San clemente island bird's-foot trefoil
- Acmispon argophyllus var. argenteus — Channel Islands silver lotus
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.