I grew up in the Sonoran Desert surrounded by the fragrant puffballs of the Sweet Acacia (Vachellia farnesiana). Not only do bees and butterflies love the flowers but birds favor the thorny, tangled branches for nesting, and lots of animals dine on the seed pods.

As you can imagine, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this small tree is native here as well. The one I planted in my yard this past spring just started blooming and while not as showy as some of the other plants around here, it certainly makes me smile.