Accession Count: 1
Common Name:
palo zorillo
Family Name:
Fabaceae
Botanical Name:
Senna atomaria
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
The palo zorillo is a deciduous and perennial dense shrub that can grow as a small tree reaching heights of up to 12 m (about 39 ft) (1). Its trunks, branches, and stems are a greyish brown color, and its trunk can reach up to 20 cm (about 7.87 in) in diameter (1). Its leaves are bright green and are even pinnately compound with up to 4-6 ovate leaflets that all together are about 10-20 cm long (2, 3). Its flowers are a bright yellow, which is common of flowers under the Senna genus. Its flowers are about 1.2 inches long and have 5 petals that are separated from other petals that tend to curve upwards (4). Its fruits are green to black legume pods that are about 20-35 cm (about 1.15 ft) long and can have over 11 seeds per pod (2, 3).
Compound:
Sen ato
Geographic Origin:
Sonora to South America
Ecozone Origin:
Neotropic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
This plant is native to many countries in North, South and Central America including Mexico, Colombia, and Valenzuela, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and El Salvador (5). It is also distributed in many countries in the Carribean including Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Honduras (5). In its native range, it can be found growing on rocky slopes and in dry climates, found in elevations from sea level of up to 2,000 m (about 6,561 ft) (1). It also consistently resides in subtropical dry forests or in moist forest sites (2). It is hardy in USDA hardiness zones 9a-11b.
Cultivation Notes:
This plant performs best in landscapes with elevations of up to 2,000 m (1). This plant is tolerant of most soil textures and benefits from adequate soil drainage (1). It can also tolerate saline soils and soils that are acidic or alkaline (1, 2). This plant flourishes in full sun and partial shade (1). It can be mildly drought tolerant because of its origins from semi-arid regions and could tolerate minimal watering (6). However, it could always benefit from supplemental watering in hot climates because of its usual intake of rainfall water in its native regions being 500-1,200 mm (about 19.6- 47.2 inches) (2).
Ethnobotany:
This plant is a source of fuel production because it has a high heat combustion and is agriculturally sustainable because of its robust regrowth and the considerable amounts of biomass it produces (2). This plant is also used for its timber because of the commercial aspects of its brown heart wood and yellow sap wood used in traditional construction (1, 2). It can also be used for medicinal purposes as its leaves can be crushed and used on insect bites to relieve skin itch and help with skin discoloration (1, 2). Its leaves can also be brewed to make teas because of its laxative properties (1).
Height:
20 - 50 feet
Width:
20 - 50 feet
Growth Rate:
Moderate Growing
Grow Season:
Spring
Flower Season:
Winter
Color:
Yellow
Function:
Accent
Spread:
Non-spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Semi-hardy
Water Use:
