Accession Count: 2
Common Name:
Argentine palo verde
Family Name:
Fabaceae
Botanical Name:
Parkinsonia glauca
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
Large shrub to small tree, 2-3 m (6.5-10 ft) tall (2, 3). May attain 6 m (20 ft) in cultivation (2, 5). Bluish-green bark, retains this color through maturity (3, 4). A covering of pubescent trichomes (fine “hairs) found on petioles, petiolules, rachis, leaflets, axis of inflorescence, bracts, pedicels, sepals, petal claw, filament, style, stigma and pod (3). Branches frequently, armed with thorns 5-33 mm (0.20-1.3 in) long (3). Leaves unreduced and bipinnately arranged (3, 4). Stipules spinescent, deciduous, and glabrous, 3-8 mm (0.12-0.31 in) long. This species can be differentiated from the closely related Parkinsonia praecox by the following characteristics: pinnae 1(-2) pair, leaflets 4-7 pairs per pinna, 1-3(-4) mm (0.04-0.12 in) long; ovary 3-5 (0.12-0.20 in) mm long, villous, ovules 6-8, pubescent style (3, 4). Flowers yellow, 7-18 mm (0.28-0.71 in) long (3, 4). Pod brown, 2-5 x 1-2 cm (0.79-1.97 x 0.39-0.79 in), oblong to elliptic, flat (3). Seeds 1-2 per fruit, 6-9 x 2-5 mm (0.24-0.35 x 0.08-0.20 in), oblong (3).
Compound:
Par pra gla
Geographic Origin:
Argentina
Ecozone Origin:
Neotropic
Biome Origin:
Desert
Natural History:
This large shrub is native exclusively to the Andes of Argentina (3, 4). It grows in dry chaco (a semiarid lowland tropical dry forest region in northwestern Argentina) and along riverbanks (3, 4). It is currently assessed as Endangered, having only fragmented populations in the wild (3). The plant’s specific epithet glauca refers to its pale bluish green bark.
Cultivation Notes:
This plant can be chosen as a landscape option in highly arid regions, such as Phoenix (2). It can survive on 10 cm (4 in) of rain per year, though more water leads to faster growth (2). Hardy down to -12°C (10°F) (2). This plant’s ability to tolerate extreme drought means it could be a good option in places that are experiencing increased drought with climate change (5). While the plant is more shrubby by nature, it is often trained into a small tree with pruning (2, 5). Sourcing this plant from a nursery can be tricky, as it is very often confused by growers with its close relative Parkinsonia praecox (6).
Ethnobotany:
“Brea” is the Spanish word for tar, and refers to the waxy coating on the bark which can be scraped off to use as glue (2, 5). The bark exudes a sweet substance that is edible, and which can also be used to make soap (5). There may be other medicinal uses of the bark, as well (5). A specimen of the Argentine palo brea was taken from an unknown area to Spain and planted in the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid (4). That specimen then became the type specimen for the species (4).
Height:
11 - 15 feet
Width:
6 - 10 feet
Growth Rate:
Fast Growing
Grow Season:
ForeSummer
Flower Season:
Fall
Color:
Yellow
Function:
Shade
Spread:
Non-spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Benign
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Hardy
Water Use:
Low water Use
