Scientific Family
Fabaceae
Synonyms
Cercidium microphyllum
Other common names
foothill palo verde
littleleaf palo verde
Plant type
Trees
Riparian
No
Plant Description
Origin
Native
A slow growing, long-lived deciduous tree or shrub that drops its leaves during drought. Palo verde means "green pole or stick" in Spanish, referring to the green trunk and branches, that perform photosynthesis.
Likes hillsides. Bark yellowish-green; tiny leaflets; flowers <1/2 inch long, often 1 white petal among the yellow petals; inflated seed pods ending in a flat triangular or sword-shaped beak. Tiny leaftlets distinguish this from P. florida.
Height
10 to 13 feet
Habitat
Habitat description
Abundant on bajadas (alluvial fan at foot of mountain), plains and hillslopes through low desert.
Plant Community
Desert Scrub
Low elevation
0
High elevation
4000
Leaves
Leaf color
Yellowish-green
Leaf type
Compound
Leaf shape
Round or oval
Leaf margin
Smooth
Leaf hairs
None
Spines
Yes
Leaf Drop
Deciduous
Leaves are borne on thorn tipped stems; 4 to 8 pairs of leaflets, 1 pair of leaflets lacking a stem; leaflets very small, broadly elliptic to broadly oblong or rounded.
Flowers
Flower color
Pale yellow
Flower shape
Irregular
Tubular
Yes
First bloom month
April
Last bloom month
May
Bicolored with 4 yellow petals and 1 white banner. Bisexual, pea-like flower in small clusters of 4 to 8 flowers. The plant may not flower every year, depends on available moisture.
Flower clusters
Elongated
Fruit
Fruit color
Green
Fruit type
Pod
Fruit is a legume on a stalk-like base. It is hard, round and the green color will become brown when dry.