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Parkinsonia florida (Benth. ex A. Gray) S. Watson

Blue palo verde, blue paloverde, palo verde

KingdomPlantaePlants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
SubkingdomTracheobiontaVascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
DivisionMagnoliophytaFlowering plants, also known as angiosperms
ClassMagnoliopsidaDicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
SubclassRosidaeRoses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
OrderFabalesLegumes (pea and bean families)
FamilyFabaceaeLegume family (peas and beans)
GenusParkinsoniaNamed for John Parkinson, author, botanist, Apothecary of London and king’s herbalist to James I
SpeciesfloridaEither (1) free flowering, producing abundant flowers; or (2) bright

About plant names...

Blue Palo Verde is a native of the Sonoran Desert.

Identification: This species is found in desert areas, typically near rivers or desert wash areas that receive at least intermittent water. It reaches 15-30′ (4.6-9.1 m) in height. Leaves are bipinnate, with leaflets ⅛-¼″ (3.2-6.3 mm) long. It is found in association with honey mesquite, smoketree, ironwood, desert willow, and catclaw acacia.

This table compares blue palo verde with foothills palo verde.

 

Parkinsonia florida (blue palo verde, blue paloverde, palo verde)

5/1/2018 · Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge, Lake Havasu City, Ari­zona · ≈ 5 × 3½″ (13 × 8.7 cm)

Parkinsonia florida (blue palo verde, blue paloverde, palo verde)

5/2/2018 · Bajada Trail, Joshua Tree National Park, Cali­fornia · ≈ 10 × 6″ (24 × 16 cm)

  You are here
Parkinsonia florida

Parkinsonia microphylla
Common Name

blue palo verde

foothills Palo Verde
Plant 15-30′ (4.6-9.1 m). Trunk and branches are bluish green, photosynthetic. 10-20′ (3-6.1 m) high, and about the same around. Bark is smooth and yellow-green in color.
Flowers

 

Bright yellow, blooming earlier than foothills palo verde. Photo by Stan Shebs.

 

Yellow. Photo by aspidoscelis (Flickr).
Leaves Bipinnate, with leaflets ⅛-¼″ (3.2-6.3 mm) long; often leafless. In small pinnate stalks up to 1″ (2.5 cm), containing a row of tiny, round leaflets. Dropped entirely during droughts.
Fruit A flat pod with one or more seeds, brown, turning white with age, up to 3″ (7.6 cm) long. 2-3″ (5-7.6 cm) seed pods contain up to five seeds.
Range/ Zones

Habitats Creosote bush scrub, below 3600′ (1.1 km) Mohave and Sonoran deserts of Arizona, California, and Baja Mexico; at up to 4000′ (1.2 km)
Type Wild Wild

 

Parkinsonia florida (blue palo verde, blue paloverde, palo verde)

Flowering blue paloverde. By Stan Shebs.

Online References:

Southeastern Arizona Wildflowers and the Plants of the Sonoran Desert

Discover Life

Cals.arizona.edu

Treesofnorthamerica.net

CalPhotos

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

The USDA Forest Service's Fire Effects Information Database

The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum Sonoran Desert Digital Library

Parkinsonia florida (blue palo verde, blue paloverde, palo verde)

5/1/2018 · Sara Park, Lake Havasu City, Ari­zona · ≈ 6 × 4″ (14 × 10 cm)

Parkinsonia florida (blue palo verde, blue paloverde, palo verde)

5/1/2018 · Sara Park, Lake Havasu City, Ari­zona · ≈ 10 × 6″ (24 × 16 cm)

Parkinsonia florida (blue palo verde, blue paloverde, palo verde)

5/1/2018 · Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge, Lake Havasu City, Ari­zona · ≈ 8 × 5″ (20 × 13 cm)

Parkinsonia florida (blue palo verde, blue paloverde, palo verde)

5/2/2018 · Bajada Trail, Joshua Tree National Park, Cali­fornia · ≈ 15 × 10″ (39 × 26 cm)

Parkinsonia florida (blue palo verde, blue paloverde, palo verde)

5/1/2018 · Sara Park, Lake Havasu City, Ari­zona · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm)

Parkinsonia florida (blue palo verde, blue paloverde, palo verde)

5/2/2018 · Bajada Trail, Joshua Tree National Park, Cali­fornia · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm)

Parkinsonia florida (blue palo verde, blue paloverde, palo verde)

5/1/2018 · Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge, Lake Havasu City, Ari­zona

Parkinsonia florida (blue palo verde, blue paloverde, palo verde)

5/1/2018 · Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge, Lake Havasu City, Ari­zona · ≈ 6 × 4″ (16 × 11 cm)

Cercidium floridum Benth. ex A. Gray

Cercidium floridum Benth. ex A. Gray ssp. floridum

 

Parkinsonia florida description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 16 Sep 2020.

© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.


 

Parkinsonia florida (blue palo verde, blue paloverde, palo verde)

2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Cali­fornia

Parkinsonia florida (blue palo verde, blue paloverde, palo verde)

5/1/2018 · Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge, Lake Havasu City, Ari­zona · ≈ 5 × 3½″ (13 × 8.7 cm)

Parkinsonia florida (blue palo verde, blue paloverde, palo verde)

2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Cali­fornia · ≈ 14 × 9″ (35 × 23 cm)

Parkinsonia florida (blue palo verde, blue paloverde, palo verde)

5/1/2018 · Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge, Lake Havasu City, Ari­zona · ≈ 10 × 6″ (24 × 16 cm)

Parkinsonia florida (blue palo verde, blue paloverde, palo verde)

5/1/2018 · Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge, Lake Havasu City, Ari­zona · ≈ 6 × 4″ (16 × 11 cm)

Parkinsonia florida (blue palo verde, blue paloverde, palo verde)

5/1/2018 · Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge, Lake Havasu City, Ari­zona

Parkinsonia florida (blue palo verde, blue paloverde, palo verde)

5/2/2018 · Bajada Trail, Joshua Tree National Park, Cali­fornia · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm)

Parkinsonia florida (blue palo verde, blue paloverde, palo verde)

2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Cali­fornia · ≈ 6 × 9″ (14 × 22 cm)

Parkinsonia florida (blue palo verde, blue paloverde, palo verde)

5/1/2018 · Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge, Lake Havasu City, Ari­zona

Parkinsonia florida (blue palo verde, blue paloverde, palo verde)

5/1/2018 · Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge, Lake Havasu City, Ari­zona · ≈ 8 × 5″ (20 × 13 cm)

Range:

About this map...