Trees & flora
Camel Thorn
Vachellia erioloba
Vachellia erioloba (camel thorn, giraffe thorn) is a tree of southern Africa in the family Fabaceae.
When to visit
Most records Jul to Aug
When Camel Thorn sightings peak, from open records. Outside these months it is seen less often, not never.
Best monthsJul to Aug
Records1,514 records
Curve from 1,514 national iNaturalist observations, not from one property. Single-month spikes are discarded as upload artefacts, and below 50 records we show no curve at all.
Where you'll find it
Northern Cape and beyond
Provinces where Camel Thorn is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
1,511 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Camel Thorn
Places to stay
10+ results in South Africa
More stays nearby
- Which parks and reserves are best for the Camel Thorn in South Africa?
- Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Camel Thorn at stays in or beside Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Marakele National Park and Mokala National Park. A record means a host has seen it on the property or nearby, which makes these the places to base yourself; it is never a guarantee of a sighting on any given day.
- Where can you see the Camel Thorn in South Africa?
- The Camel Thorn is most recorded in Northern Cape (71% of records), North West (16% of records), Limpopo (7% of records), based on 1 511 iNaturalist observations. 10 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Camel Thorn on site or nearby.
- When is the best time to see the Camel Thorn?
- Sightings of the Camel Thorn peak from Jul to Aug, based on 1 514 iNaturalist records. You may still see it outside those months, sightings are just less frequent.
- What is the Camel Thorn?
- Vachellia erioloba (camel thorn, giraffe thorn) is a tree of southern Africa in the family Fabaceae. Its preferred habitat is the deep dry sandy soils in parts of South Africa, Botswana, the western areas of Zimbabwe and Namibia. It is also native to Angola, south-west Mozambique, Zambia and Swaziland. The tree was first described by Ernst Heinrich Friedrich Meyer and Johann Franz Drège in 1836.