Vachellia farnesiana

Native to tropical and subtropical America, this bushy shrub or small tree can form thorny thickets. Fragrant yellow flowers grow in rounded heads, followed by dark seed pods. It commonly grows in open vegetation and along pasture margins, tolerating drought and salt spray. The flowers are used in perfumery, and the plant is cultivated for this purpose in southern Europe. Its dense, spiny branches provide shelter for birds. It can be propagated from seed or cuttings. Photographed in Colombia.