Virginia Tech Dendrology

yellow paloverde Fabaceae Parkinsonia microphylla Torr. symbol: PAMI5
Leaf: Alternate, bipinnately compound, with only 2 major leaflets making it appear as a pair of pinnately compound leaves, each about 1/2 inch long, green and short lived.
Flower: Loose clusters of bright yellow flowers with 5 lobes, entire flower 1/2 inch across, appearing in spring and early summer.
Fruit: Two to 4 inch cylindrical legume swollen at seeds, sharply pointed at ends, light brown, matures in the summer, persist on the tree.
Twig: Slender to moderately stout, yellow-green, smooth, each short twig ending in a sharp point.
Bark: Initially smooth and yellow-green, later turning light brown and a bit scaly.
Form: Large shrub or small tree (up to 25 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 - blue paloverde - crucifixion thorn - allthorn

Additional Range Information: Parkinsonia microphylla is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database
All material 2021 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 map source information