Botanical description
A perennial shrub that is widespread in many sandy areas of the Kingdom, especially in the Nafud and Ad-Dahna deserts. It reaches a height of (4 meters) with a woody base and weak, drooping ends. The stem is gray and very branched. The old branches are yellowish-white. The leaves are very reduced or completely absent and are light green in color. The flowers are small and yellow in color and when ripe they are white. The fruits have wings with a diameter of (0.5 cm). The seeds are elongated and are found attached to the fruiting cover and are semi-conical in structure and their maximum diameter is (2 mm). They appear in the form of a small, open, spiral cup with the wide part facing upwards.
Flowering
Flowering begins in early October and continues for two months. The fruit is harvested after a month and a half of flowering. (It also blooms in early March for a month, but its flowers are male and do not produce fruit.)
multiply
It is propagated by seeds, but it can also be propagated by cuttings and air layering.
Benefits and Uses
A tree that can withstand severe drought and high salt levels and water pools. It greatly helps in stabilizing sand dunes (especially quicksand) due to its ability to secrete substances that stabilize the soil around it. It is grazed by livestock. Its branches and roots are used for firewood and it has a pleasant smell. The embers of the ghada tree are very hot and glow for a long time, making it a proverb among the Arabs. It is also used in the manufacture of paper and dyes, and it has medical uses.