Parkinsonia florida subsp. florida
A drought-deciduous desert tree native to the Sonoran Desert of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, with gray-green photosynthetic trunk and branches and bright yellow pea-like flowers in late spring, reaching about 10–12 m tall.
Common Names
Blue Palo Verde, Blue Paloverde, Blue Palo-Verde, Palo Verde Azul
Summary
Blue Palo Verde is a Sonoran Desert tree native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, typically 20–32 ft tall and 15–20 ft wide with a spreading crown. It features bluish-green, photosynthetic trunks and branches, spines at leaf nodes, and largely leafless foliage for much of the year; tiny leaflets (2–4 per leaf) may appear after rainfall, and bright yellow flowers appear in spring in terminal racemes, followed by bean-like seed pods.
It grows in full sun on well-drained soils (sandy, gravelly, rocky, or coarse loamy) and tolerates alkaline conditions; drought-tolerant once established, hardy in zones 8–11, from sea level to about 4,000 ft. Used ornamentally in desert landscapes and xeriscapes, it provides nectar for pollinators and forage for wildlife; pruning after flowering is advisable and spines require care during maintenance. Propagation is by scarified seeds; pests include palo verde root borers.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
20-40 feet
Spread
25-35 ft
Hardiness Zones
Zones 8-11
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun; tolerates partial shade.
Soil Type
Well-drained, sandy to gravelly soil with low organic content and pH 5.5–8.5.
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soils
Soil pH
Neutral to alkaline; pH 7.0–8.5
Bloom Color
Yellow
Bloom Time
Spring
Foliage Color
Blue-green, Green
Fall Foliage Color
No fall foliage color, leafless most of the year
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
2–3 ft/year (moderate to fast growth)
Seasons of Interest
Spring
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Cuttings (semi-hardwood in summer; hardwood in winter), Air layering, Grafting
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees, other pollinators, and birds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Subspecies
- Publication
- Unknown
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Fabales
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Subfamily
- Caesalpinioideae
- Genus
- Parkinsonia
- Species
- Parkinsonia florida
Synonyms
Parkinsonia torreyana Cercidium torreyanum Cercidium floridum