Plant
Foothill Palo Verde
Parkinsonia microphyllaAlso known as Yellow Paloverde, Little-leaved Palo Verde, Foothill Paloverde
Foothill palo verde is an iconic Sonoran Desert tree famous for photosynthesizing through its yellow-green bark when drought forces leaf drop. In late spring, branches explode in pale yellow flowers with white top petals that attract native bees. Its spiny branchlets create a sheltered microclimate, acting as a crucial nurse plant for seedling saguaro cacti.
AridDesert Nurse PlantFlowering Tree
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyAutotrophic (Photosynthetic)
Predators
- Javelina
- Desert Bighorn Sheep
- White-throated Woodrat
ThreatsProlonged drought, invasive buffelgrass fires, and urban expansion
HabitatsSonoran Desert hillsides, rocky slopes, and arid desert scrub
Life span100–400 years
Classification
- OrderFabales
- FamilyFabaceae
- GenusParkinsonia
- SpeciesParkinsonia microphylla
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance; watch out for sharp twig tips.
Responsible observation
- Spring Flowers: Look for dense pale yellow blooms from April to May across rocky desert hillsides.
- Nurse Trees: Scan beneath mature canopies to spot juvenile saguaro cacti sheltering in the shade.
- Bark Identification: Inspect the smooth, yellowish-green trunk bark that distinguishes it from blue palo verde.
Ecological Partner WClarke / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Herbivore (c) shankar s., some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Joe Decruyenaere, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · cc-by-sa
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