Virginia Tech Dendrology

torote blanco Anacardiaceae Pachycormus discolor (Benth.) Coville ex Standl. symbol:
Leaf: Alternate, drought deciduous, pinnately compound, to 2 inches with adequate moisture, individual leaflets usually oval with entire or with round-toothed margins, the terminal leaflets often 3-lobed, green on both surfaces, non-aromatic.
Flower: Creamy yellow-white or pink, displayed in panicles or racemes, individual flowers 1/4 inch with 5 petals, appearing at any time from spring to fall.
Fruit: Dry, bladder-like, small little information available.
Twig: Gray-brown, moderate to stout, with spur shoots.
Bark: Showy, older/slow-growing bark weathering to gray, papery peeling tan to white bark on faster-growing stems, the inner bark greenish and photosynthetic; with a resinous sap when cut.
Form: A shrub or small tree, to 30 feet, widespreading, with a very short, thick, trunk, may have a bulbous root crown.
Looks like: elephant tree - copal - fragrant bursera

Additional Range Information: Pachycormus discolor is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links:
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