Shittim wood is indigenous to Uganda. A tree of deciduous woodland, wooded grassland and deciduous and semi-evergreen bushland, 900-2,300 m. One of the main species in drier areas of Mbarara and Luwero Districts and in North Eastern Region, usually associated with Combretum, other Acacia and Commiphora species. In Kampala, Shittim wood can be found at Makerere university, Makerere II zone C among other places.

A tree 2-6 m high, with a rounded or flat crown.

BARK: greenish-brown, thinly peeling and papery, becoming rough dark brown. Branch lets reddish-brown, sticky and hairy. THORNS: in pairs, straight and rather weak, usually less than 2 cm, sometimes absent.

LEAVES: bipinnate, 4-12 pairs of pinnae with tiny leaflets, hairy.

FLOWERS: bright yellow in axillary pedunculate heads (small round heads), orange yellow.

FRUIT: narrow, strongly curved pod, to 15 cm, reddish brown with black dots, splitting on the tree with the olive-brown seeds hanging out on thread-like stalks.

Medicine: bark, leaves, gums, roots. https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx LatinName=Acacia+hockii

Agroforestry: root system makes it a good soil stabilizer

.A gum arabic is obtained from the trunk which is mixed with soot and powdered Nubian sandstone for black and red ink.

The bark contains 18-30 % tannins and is a source of red dye.

The smoke produced by burning the wood acts as a fumigant against insects and lice.

Chemicals in the bark kill the freshwater snails that carry bilharzia parasites and algae growing in ponds.

The roots are used for making staves and the bark is used for making ropes.

The fiber can be used as particleboard.

Provides poles and posts that can be used for fencing

.Produces good dense firewood that is highly valued and can be used to produce charcoal.

It can be used to make a fragrant fire over which women perfume themselves.

Provides timber.