Common Name: Acacia xanthophloea, known as the "Fever Tree." Latin Name: Acacia xanthophloea Benth Family: Mimosaceae Category: Tree Colour: Golden yellow Growth rate: Rapid Height: 10 - 12m Plantation: Springtime Soil: Poor, humid Placement: In direct sunlight Origin: Southeast Africa (South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania) in areas of humid savannah. Description: Acacias are the dominant woody plants over much of sub-Saharan Africa, with the exception of forests, grassland and mountain heathland. As the tree is adapted to the dry and hot conditions in Africa, the leaves are divided into dozens of tiny leaflets in order to capture the sunlight better. Acacia senegal trees have a deep tap root system, which allows the tree to survive in the Sahara, as it taps into the aquifers below the desert. This tree family contains more than 1200 species of trees and persistent shrubs, some are thorny. These trees originate from Africa, Asia, America and Australia (over 500 species there) and from the Pacific. The common name of this species, "the Fever Tree," originates from the fact that the travellers who stopped below its crown quickly came down with a fever and held the tree responsible, while in actual fact it is the humid zone in which the tree is planted that favours mosquitoes... Name derivation: The name "acacia" is derived from the Greek term "akakia", and from "akis" which means needle or thorn.