This study was conducted on pod and seed characteristics, gel1ninalion physiology as well as the potentials ofrnAcacia abyssinica Hochst. ex Benlll ssp. abyssinica fOI' growing on degraded land. Mature pods of A. abyssinicarnwere collected ji'01/l Irees found in alld around Addis Ababa (wilhin a radius of 35 km). One hundred pods pel' treernwere collected ji'on, 26 diJ)erellt frees. Comparison of the lIIeans of pod lenglh, pod widlh and seed nUlllber perrnpod showed Significant dij)erences (p < 0.05) among samples obtained ji'om the dij)erent localities. Pod lenglh,rnpod width and number of seeds per pod ranged between 3.7 and 14.4 cm, 1.0 and 2.7 CIII and 2 and 13rnrespeclively. 11lere was no significant correlation benveen pod lenglh and widlh. Pod lenglh and number of seedsrnper pod were significanlly correlated (p ~ O. OOO). On the other hand, pod widlh and number of seeds pel' pod werernnegalively cOI1'elaled (p ~ 0.000). Seeds collecled ji'om 35 dij)erent h'ees were made into 17 bulks (eachrncontaining 1000 seeds). 111e weight oflhe bulks ranged ji'om 74.01 to 116.11 g. There were significant dij)erencesrn(p ~ O. OOO) among Ihe mean weights of the 17 seed bulks.rnE.Dects of gibberrelic acid (GA;I, indole-3-aceclic acid (lAA) and kinetin wilh concenh'alions ranging ji'01n 1IJ'rnM to 11J7 JIIi on percentage gennination and radicle length of chemically scarified seeds ofA. abyssinica werernexall/ined None of Ihe plant growth regulators significantly increased Ihe total percenlage gel1l1ination of seedsrnas compared to the control. Gennination percentage decreased Significantly at higher concenh'ations of fAA (IIJ'rn,vi and 10-' Ai) and kinetin (I (f' ill!). 1AA at 11J' }.i delayed genllination for aboul a week as compared to the otherrnconcenh'alions of the same, Ihough 63% of the seeds genllinated wilhin 10-15 days after incubalioll. GA, (at 11J'rnill!) Significantly increased radicle length, while 1AA at 10-' 1'v1, 1IJ'M and 11J7 ivi significantly decreased thernradicle length as call/pared 10 the confrol.rnThe investigation on the potential of Ihe species for growing on degraded land involved the growing of seedlingsrn(GA, 10-' }v1 h'eated and Ihe conh'ol) in plastic bags in Ihe greenhouse. Soil samples ji'Oln degraded land wererncollecled ji'om geomorphicolly different locations ji'om an area co 4 km' along Ihe road on Ihe l'vfodjo-Zewayrnroad, at aboul 81 km soulh of Addis Ababa. Soil samples that served as a control were collected ji'01l/ places inrnand orollnd Addis Ababa where A. abyssinica is currently found growing. Gel1ninants ji'om 10-' JIIi GA, and thernconh'ol were plan led in bolh types of soils and were left 10 grow in Ihe greenhouse fOI' 12 weeks. All the seedlingsrnslllvived until ha/vest. Chemical and physical analyses of the soil samples were conducled in Ihe National SoilsrnLaborato/y in Addis Ababa. The results of the analyses indicate that 10talnih'Ogen, organic carbon and availablernphosphorus were Significantly higher (p < O. 05) in the soils collecled ji'om places where A. abyssinica is cun'enllyrngrolVing than those ji'om Ihe deg/'Qded land On fhe other hand pH, No, K, Co, and CEC were found Significantly higher (p ~ 0.00) ill the soils collectedjimll degraded land The JIIeall vollies of plant height. IIIlmber ofbrallches.rnIIl1l1/ber of leaves. shoot dry weight alld root dry weight were fOlllld to be sigllificalltly higher ill the controls. FroJIIrnthe resllits. it cOllld be cOllelllded that: (I) the presellce of hard seed coats is the most ill/portallt factor inhibitillgrngel7nillalioll ill seeds of A. abyssillica; (2) provided that seeds are carejilily scarified (chemically orrnmechanically), no gennination stimulators are required for obtaining maximum percentage germination; and (3)rnthe slllvival (IIntii hmvesl) of the seedlillgs ill soils collected ji'om degraded lalld cOllld illdicate that A. abyssillicarnhas the potelllials for growillg ill degraded land provided that the minimllm moistllre reqllirements of the speciesrnis met.