Parkinsonia florida – “Blue Palo Verde”

Other Botanical Names: Cercidium floridum
Family: Legume, Bean (Fabaceae)
Bloom Period: Apr-May
Form: Small tree or large shrub
Habitat: Washes
Leaves: Twice pinnately-compound, drought-deciduous; alternate
Translation: “Parkinsonia” is named for John Parkinson (1567-1650), herbalist to King James I of England, and an author (who never visited the Americas); “floridum” is Latin for “flowered”; “Cercidium” is the Greek name for a weaver’s shuttle, which the seed pod resembles.
Notes: The common name, “Palo Verde,” Spanish for “green stick,” describes to the color of the bark, which, unusually for a tree, can photosynthesize like leaves do. The wood is not good for fuel; it is too lightweight, makes no coals, and gives off an unpleasant odor when burned. Heads up.
Native American Uses: The Cahuilla, Cocopa, Mojave and Quechan cooked the seeds for food. The Pima ate the young pods raw and made ladles from the wood.
Animal Associations: Flowers attract Honey Bees and other pollinators in profusion. Rodents and birds eat the seed pods. The Verdin, an insectivorous bird, takes cover in its branches where it seeks food. Nesting site for the Black-Tailed Gnatcatcher and overnight roosting spot for Gambel’s Quail.