Virginia Tech Dendrology

blue paloverde Fabaceae Parkinsonia florida (Benth. ex A. Gray) S. Watson Listen to the Latin symbol: PAFL6
Leaf: Alternate, bipinnately compound, usually with only 2 major leaflets each about 1/2 inch long, blue-green and short lived.
Flower: Loose clusters of bright yellow flowers with 5 lobes, entire flower 3/4 inch across, appearing in spring and early summer.
Fruit: Two to 3 inch flat legume, light brown, mature in the summer and drop quickly.
Twig: Slender, blue-green and smooth, straight spine at base of leaf.
Bark: Initially smooth and green, later turning light brown and a bit scaly.
Form: Short tree (up to 30 feet tall) with a crooked trunk and a wide spreading crown with many fine branches, leafless for much of the year.
 Looks like: Jerusalem thorn - yellow paloverde
leaf flower fruit twig bark form1 map
Additional Range Information: Parkinsonia florida is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting.
External Links: USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database
All material © 2018 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range maps courtesy USGS from USDA "Atlas of United States Trees" by Elbert L. Little, Jr., Vol. 1 (1971) 3 (1976) 4 (1977) 5 (1978)