Soil

• Most acacias are accustomed to drought. Plant acacias in an area of the yard that has well-drained soil so the plants don't suffer root and stem rot from "wet feet." Most acacias can grow in acid, neutral or alkaline soils. Sweet acacia, or Texas Huisache (Acacia farnesiana), is native to the hot, arid regions of the Southwest and Mexico and prefers sandy or loamy soil. Under proper growing conditions, this slow-growing acacia gets 15 to 20 feet tall and produces fernlike leaves and deeply fragrant flowers.
  
  

Sunlight

• Plant acacias in full sunlight for optimum growth. Some acacias produce fragrant flowers and need plenty of sunlight to show off their best blooms. Desert Carpet, a registered cultivar of Acacia redolens, is a short, shrubby plant used in Arizona and California to beautify hot, unshaded spaces along highways, where it produces bright yellow flowers in spring. Its dense, leathery foliage chokes out weeds.
  
  

Water

• Acacias are accustomed to doing without water in their native habitat. If your soil is not well drained, consider planting acacia on a gentle slope or hilltop, or make a raised bed to improve drainage. Weeping acacia (Acacia salicina) is drought tolerant, like its relatives, but appreciates a regular deep drink of water during hot summers to help develop a sturdy root system. If the soil becomes too dry, the acacia may drop some of its leaves to conserve water.
  
  

Uses

• Since some acacias have sharp spines or thorns, plant acacias well away from areas where people and pets walk or play. Catclaw acacias (Acacia roemeriana and Acacia greggii), have prickles shaped like a cat's claw that can tear skin. The plants produce attractive, pompom-shaped fragrant flowers and have interesting foliage, making them good specimen plants for lonely areas of the yard with no foot traffic. Leatherleaf acacia (Acacia craspedocarpa) is a thornless, 16-foot tree that produces bottlebrush-type flowers from winter to spring. A good shade tree, this acacia is also planted in rows and pruned as a hedge.