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Piscidia mollis

Accession Count: 2
Common Name: fish poison tree
Family Name: Fabaceae
Botanical Name: Piscidia mollis
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:

This tree can reach heights of 40 feet and have a round crown (1). The bark on young plants is light grey or white and very smooth but becomes rough and fissured as the plant matures (1). The leaves are 4-8 inches long and have ovate, pinnate leaflets 1-3 inches long (1). The pink flowers grow in dense clusters on racemes 2-6 inches long (1). Seed pods are 1-4 inches long and have 4 longitudinal wings (1).
Compound: Pis mol
Geographic Origin: Mexican Desert
Ecozone Origin: Nearctic
Biome Origin:
Natural History: This plant grows naturally in central and southern Sonora as well as northern Sinaloa (1). Found in valleys and on gentle slopes in sandy alluvium (1,2)
Cultivation Notes: Frost damage occurs at 20-25°F (1).
Ethnobotany: Another common name in Mexico for this plant is Palo Blanco (2). The leaves of this tree have been used by fishermen as a fish poison. The fish reportedly will recover and are safe to eat after ingesting (1,2). The wood is also used for fuel and posts (2).
Height: 20 - 50 feet
Width: 16 - 20 feet
Growth Rate: Slow Growing
Grow Season: Summer
Flower Season: Summer
Color: Pink
Function: Shade
Spread: Non-spreading
Allergen: Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Toxicity: Benign
Hardy: Tender
Water Use: Low water Use
Citations:

_(1)Felger, R. S., Johnson, M. B., & Wilson, M. F. (2001). The trees of Sonora, Mexico_. Oxford: Oxford University Press.<o:p></o:p>

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_(2) Gentry, H. S. (1963). THE WARIHIO INDIANS OF SONORA-CHIHUAHUA: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC SURVEY. Smithsonian Institution_, 66_(5), 106.<o:p></o:p>

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Piscidia mollis