Accession Count: 32
Common Name:
Mexican palo verde, Jerusalem thorn
Family Name:
Fabaceae
Botanical Name:
Parkinsonia aculeata
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
The Mexican palo verde is a drought- and cold-deciduous tree with a bipinnate leaf formation. It is an erect, single trunked tree, completely covered in smooth, yellow-green bark. Branches are messy and thorny. The stems are covered in sharp spines, protecting the plant from herbivory. The compounded leaves are 12 inches long and have many light green leaflets. P. aculeata has a photosynthetic trunk allowing it to manufacture sugars even after its deciduous leaves have fallen. The Mexican palo verde also blooms yellow flowers in the late spring.
Compound:
Par acu
Geographic Origin:
Mexican Tropics
Ecozone Origin:
Nearctic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
Parkinsonia aculeata is native to the deserts of North America. This plant is commonly seen growing near washes or on alluvial fans (1,2).
Cultivation Notes:
The Mexican palo verde tree grows very quickly, but has a short life span. It requires low water use and is suitable for sunny areas.The Mexican palo verde is a hardy tree that will suffer damage at temperatures lower than 15℉. It is also the primary host for the palo verde beetle, which poses potential issues. P. aculeata spreads quickly in non-native zones, where efforts to stop the cultivation of this plant include the introduction of natural predatory insects that feed on its seeds. However, within its native range, P. aculeata is cultivated for use as a commercial and residential landscaping tree, and for a shade tree in arid climates (1).
Ethnobotany:
P. aculeata was introduced as an ornamental tree to tropical and subtropical regions of the Pacific and is now a major invasive species in these regions. The genus Parkinsonia is named after the botanist John Parkinson, known for what is considered to be one of the most influential botanical works of the 17th century: The Botanical Theatre (1).
Height:
16 - 20 feet
Width:
16 - 20 feet
Growth Rate:
Moderate Growing
Grow Season:
Spring
Flower Season:
Spring
Color:
Yellow
Function:
Shade
Spread:
Spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Benign
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Hardy
Water Use:
Low water Use
