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Blue Palo Verde
Parkinsonia florida (Cercidium floridum)
Flower Color
Yellow
Water Needs
Very Low
Growth Habit
Tall and Wide
Growth Rate
Moderate
Average Landscape Size
35' wide, 35' tall
USDA Hardiness Zone
8b (15 to 20F)
Care Information
A beautiful desert tree, though marginally hardy in Washington County. Will do best with reflected heat from the south side of houses or slopes in the winter. Grows rapidly with irrigation. May require frequent corrective pruning and thinning when young to avoid wind damage.
Gardener's Notes
The bark of a palo verde tree is green because it's filled with chlorophyll. Unlike most trees, this plant gets a lot of photosynthesizing done through its bark. Only about a third of the palo verde's food is produced by the leaves.
Landscape Uses
Shade Tree