| Common Name |
Blue palo verde |
| Latin Name |
Parkinsonia floridium, previously Cercidium floridum |
| Family / Origin |
Fabaceae / Archeological evidence indicates
tree arrived in Arizona more than 4,000 years B.P. |
| Sunset zone / USDA zone |
8-14, 18, 20-29 / 8-10 |
| Type / Form |
Tree / Medium to large size |
| Native Habitat |
Washes 500 to 4,000 feet in Sonoran Desert |
| Soil |
Dry to moist, decomposed granite, sand, clay loam, low
organic content |
| Exposure |
Full sun or filtered shade, plant south of wind break or
building to protect from cold Santa Ana winds |
| Water |
Once per month in clay soil to once a week in sand
during hot months |
| Height X Width / Growth rate |
Maximum 15 feet X 25 feet, usual 12 feet X 15 feet /
Moderate |
| Protective Mechanism |
Spines |
| Leaves |
Drought and cold deciduous, temporary bi-pinnate, green |
| Flowers |
5 petaled yellow flowers with red or brown pistils bloom two weeks in April, May,
or June, fragrant, cold marginal |
| Bark / Roots |
Barks scarred and grey brown / Deep roots |
| Maintenance |
Low, emits considerable litter but needs it to store
ground water, do not prune at above 70 degrees |
| Propagation |
Seed |
| Pests and Diseases |
Wood borers, witches broom, and mistletoe |
| Landscape Uses |
Erosion control, rock garden, low maintenance,
background, specimen |
| Garden Suitability |
Fragrant, Songbird, Ethnobotanical |
| Nature Value |
Flowers attract bees and butterflies,
seeds eaten by birds and other wildlife |
| Native American Uses |
Beans ground into pinole, drink made from pods with
beans |
| Comments |
Short lived 20 to 40 years |
| Links |
|
| Article |
http://www.desertusa.com/mag01/aug/papr/palov.html |
| Images and data |
http://www.delange.org/PaloVerdeBlue/PaloVerdeBlue.htm |
| Images and data |
http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Fabaceae/Cercidium_floridum.html |
| Images and data |
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cercidium_floridum |
| Images and data |
http://www.naturesongs.com/vvplants/paloverde.html |
| Images and data |
http://ag.arizona.edu/pima/gardening/aridplants/Cercidium_floridum.html |
| Images and data |
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/97539/ |
| Images and data |
http://www.aridzonetrees.com/images/Cut%20sheets/ceflo05.pdf |
| Images and data |
http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-calrecnum=1875 |
| Images and data |
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkinsonia_florida |
| Distribution map |
http://esp.cr.usgs.gov/data/atlas/little/cercflor.pdf |
| Distribution map |
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PAFL6 |
| Nursery, images, and data |
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/cercidium-floridum |
| Nursery, images, and data |
http://www.cnplx.info/nplx/species?taxon=Cercidium+floridum+ssp.+floridum |
| Nursery |
| Oak Hills Nursery, 13874 Ranchero Road, Oak
Hills, 92345, 760-947-6261 |
|
