Common Name:
palo colorado
Family Name:
Fabaceae
Botanical Name:
Caesalpinia platyloba
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
Palo colorado is a perennial, deciduous, and subtropical tree that is broad-branched and reaches a height of 6-20 m (20-60 ft) with a trunk diameter of 0.5m (2.6 ft) (1,5). Branches are glabrous (smooth) or sparsely pubescent, spineless, and stipules may be absent or vestigial (1). Leaves are bipinnately compound with 2-3 pairs of pinnae, and each pinna has roughly 5-8 leaflet pairs (1,5). The leaves are 2-6 cm (0.8-2 in), elliptic in shape, and have entire margins (1). Without glandular nectaries, the petioles are roughly 5cm, and the rachis are roughly 9-15 cm (3.5-6 in)(1). The tree is dioecious, with yellow flowers that appear from June and July (1,3). Flowers are arranged as inflorescences on terminal racemes that range from 8-25 cm (3-10 in) (1,4). Each flower features 5 separate, incurved sepals with a distinctive long lower sepal, fan-shaped petals, and 10 stamens with glandless anthers (1). Fruits are brown, flattened, suborbicular-oblong in shape, measuring 10-13 mm, found in indehiscent, reddish-brown to reddish-pink pods that are oblong and membranous to papery in texture, without an aril (1). Fruits are observed around August and December (2).
Compound:
Cae pla
Geographic Origin:
Mexican Tropics
Ecozone Origin:
Neotropic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
Palo colorado is native to Mexico and Central America's tropical and subtropical regions at elevations around 0-100 m (0-330 ft), such as Punta Descartes and Santa Elena Peninsula in Mexico and Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Nicaragua (2,9). The tree grows in dry deciduous forests along a coastline or sandy soil (2). Additionally, the plant is found in wooded slopes of the Short-tree forest and occasionally in Thorn Forest in arid and semi-arid regions of Mexico (7). Species within the genus have begun to be introduced into Arizona, California, Florida, and Texas (9). Palo colorado particularly attracted pollinators and nectar-seeking animals, such as butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds (6). Once classified in the genus Caesalpinia, named after Andreas Caesalpini, a 16th-century botanist (9). Reanalysis of the taxonomy of the Caesalpinia genus resulted in the plant to become classified under Coulteria. This reclassification was made based on how the leaves end in a pair of pinnae (1).
Cultivation Notes:
The tree thrives in well-drained soils, including sandy or rocky substrates, and is highly drought-tolerant once established (9). Growth in poorly-drained soils can result in the development of mushroom root rot caused by the soil borne Armillaria fungus(6). The species prefers full sun and benefits from moderate watering during its early growth stages, particularly in nursery settings (9). The tree grows best in USDA Hardiness zones 8 and 9 (9). It can be propagated by seed or by semi-woody cuttings that are placed in a mixture of peat and sand (10).
Ethnobotany:
The legume seeds have been used as a roasted or dried powder to make atole or tortillas (7). Additionally, the heartwood of the plant, known for its distinct orange-red coloring, is a source of a red pigment historically extracted and used for red-handed imprints on buildings and walls (7,8). The hardwood has also been valued for making inlays, furniture, flooring, turned objects, and even fenceposts (which have been reported to last a century) (3,5). Column chromatography separation shows that the leaves of the plant (Caesalpinia platyoba) have cassane diterpenes present, which are compounds known for their anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antitumor, anticancer, and cytotoxic activities (7).
Height:
20 - 50 feet
Width:
20 - 50 feet
Growth Rate:
Fast Growing
Grow Season:
Spring
Flower Season:
Summer
Color:
Yellow
Function:
Accent
Spread:
Non-spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Benign
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Hardy
Water Use:
Moderate Water Use
