Parkinsonia florida
Encyclopedia
Parkinsonia florida is a species of palo verde
native to the southwestern United States
(southeastern California
, southern Arizona
) and northwestern Mexico
(Sinaloa
, Sonora
, Baja California
). Its name means "green stick" in Spanish, referring to the green trunk in which the tree does photosynthesis.
It appears somewhat more drooping than the related Parkinsonia microphylla
(Foothill Palo Verde). It is found primarily in desert washes as opposed to the foothills, a result of its greater need for water, although a few can be found in the hills. It is a quick growing tree
, maturing much faster than Foothill Palo Verde and it rarely reaches ages of 100 years. It is also much taller, growing to heights of 10–12 m. Its leaves are a bluish green (hence its common name) and it also has the ability to shed them in periods of low rainfall.
The flowers of Blue Palo Verde are bright yellow, pea like blossoms which cover the tree in late spring. They are accompanied by seed pods which are slightly larger and flatter and have harder shells than Foothill Palo Verde.
The Irish botanist Thomas Coulter
was the first to categorize the plant. He obtained specimens near Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, in 1830.
The Blue Palo Verde is the state tree of Arizona
.
Parkinsonia
Parkinsonia , also Cercidium , is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family, Fabaceae. It contains about 12 species that are native to semi-desert regions of Africa and the Americas...
native to the southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
(southeastern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, southern Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
) and northwestern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
(Sinaloa
Sinaloa
Sinaloa officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 18 municipalities and its capital city is Culiacán Rosales....
, Sonora
Sonora
Sonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....
, Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
). Its name means "green stick" in Spanish, referring to the green trunk in which the tree does photosynthesis.
It appears somewhat more drooping than the related Parkinsonia microphylla
Parkinsonia microphylla
Parkinsonia microphylla is a species of palo verde native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico .- Overview :It is a bristling, upright-branching tree, mostly found on slopes, and is one of the...
(Foothill Palo Verde). It is found primarily in desert washes as opposed to the foothills, a result of its greater need for water, although a few can be found in the hills. It is a quick growing tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
, maturing much faster than Foothill Palo Verde and it rarely reaches ages of 100 years. It is also much taller, growing to heights of 10–12 m. Its leaves are a bluish green (hence its common name) and it also has the ability to shed them in periods of low rainfall.
The flowers of Blue Palo Verde are bright yellow, pea like blossoms which cover the tree in late spring. They are accompanied by seed pods which are slightly larger and flatter and have harder shells than Foothill Palo Verde.
The Irish botanist Thomas Coulter
Thomas Coulter
Thomas Coulter , of Dundalk, was an Irish physician, botanist, and explorer. He was a member of the Royal Irish Academy, and a fellow of Trinity College, Dublin, where he founded the college's herbarium....
was the first to categorize the plant. He obtained specimens near Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, in 1830.
The Blue Palo Verde is the state tree of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
.