With warmer, drier weather in May, the foliage on the little palo verde tree (Parkinsonia florida) has thinned out a bit. It has, in fact, finally cleared out enough for me to see that not only are there several trees - there are three separate clumps of small trees. I knew there was more than one, but I didn't realize there were this many! At present I believe these are all individual trees rather than multi-trunked singles.
As you can see, the foliage is much less dense than it was a month ago. The little leaves remaining on the tree are unchanged, however - just tiny rounded clusters that blend perfectly with the colour of the bark.
The other change is in the seedpods, which have ripened from green to brown.
The outer branches of the tree are loaded with them; no doubt this is why there are so many little trees growing in this spot!
A few have been munched.
Nothing much seems to damage the trees themselves. Their green bark remains lovely at all times, and the branches and trunks take graceful shapes, with the longest branches drooping into a weeping habit.
Here is a shot of a younger Palo Verde further along the wall. It is easier to see the form in this one.
I wanted to add some shots of the area around my cluster of trees today. Here they are against the wall that surrounds our property. The bush in front is a large shrub of rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosus), which I
wrote about briefly the other day. (I used the earlier name of Chrysothamnus nauseosus in the post;
Jane gave me a heads-up that the name has been changed recently.)
The soil these plants grow in is tight and dry. Loose surface rock is everywhere, punctuated by small tufts of dry grass.
But on the whole, things are greener than I would have expected. Arizona has received more rain than usual for the last year or two. This rather lush view down our street shows the results.
In fact, I fully expected rain today. It was forecast, and the sky has been clouded up since yesterday. Humidity has been fairly high, temperatures have been lower, and last night we got some strong winds, but... nothing more. A few drops have fallen; that is all.
But Parkinsonia florida can do without for a while. It is well adapted to dry conditions!
Linking to Lucy's
Loose and Leafy for the Tree Watching meme, which has inspired these posts...
Weather Diary: Mostly cloudy; High: 89 F (32 C)/Low: 84 F (29 C)
I really enjoyed your longer shots Amy, it gives a great idea of what it is really like to live and garden there.
ReplyDelete(you may get several copies; internet problems today)
DeleteI think those pods are so photogenic - both alone and in groups!
I thought it might be fun to include a little of the surrounding atmosphere. Quite a place... Thanks, Jessica!
DeleteI love those pods, Hollis; they're so obviously legumes, aren't they ;-) I sympathize with your internet troubles - it took me around two hours just to upload these photos. Hope yours clears up soon!
DeleteThis is an interesting tree Amy, I don't know of any other tree with green branches and trunk capable of photosynthesis. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThe capacity for photosynthesis from the bark is fascinating. It is certainly one of the most attractive adaptations to a desert environment.
DeleteIt's a great tree. It looks like it responds very well to pruning and care...I'm always amazed how tough the pea family is!
ReplyDeleteI've seen some fine cultivated palo verdes. We have some seedlings coming up in the yard now, but they are said to transplant badly, so I'm eyeing those pods now...
Deletea lovely tree. I love seed pods, I agree with Jessica that it was great to see the wider shots and get a feel for your garden (I must admit I tend to go for close up shots all too often!).
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