Palo verde

Lest you think every flower in the desert is red, I give you the Mexican Palo Verde (literally “green stick”), the closest thing we have to a tree in this part of the Sonoran Desert. The Palo Verde gets its name from it’s chlorophyll-rich bark. In the spring, the Palo Verde is a showy profusion of yellow blossoms and tiny green leaves. As the hot, dry summer comes, it saves water by shedding everything that might evaporate moisture into the dry air, leaving only its bare branches to generate energy from the sun.

Palo Verdes have the shape of a willow, with long, slender branches that bend down to the ground and move freely with the breeze.

Palo verde tree in bloom

Palo verde tree in bloom

Palo-Verde-3

Palo verde bark

Palo-Verde-2

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Comments

  1. Wow, that is very different from our trees around here.

  2. I drove across most of Arizona today on my way to see my mom & sister in Texas. Because you posted these pictures, I actually noticed Palo Verde trees in the center divide of the highway before and after Tucson. I never would have paid any attention otherwise.

    Thanks! You brightened up my drive.

Comment Policy:  All comments are subject to moderation. Your words are your own, but AnotherThink is mine, so I reserve the right to censor language that is uncouth or derogatory. No anonymous comments will be published, but if you include your real name and email address (kept private), you can say pretty much whatever is on your mind. I look forward to hearing from you.

Leave a comment

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.