Common name:Mexican Palo Verde, Jerusalem Thorn
Botanical name:Parkinsonia aculeata
Light, airy tree with prickly stems and green bark. Very fast growing with sparse foliage & very long narrow leaves. Yellow flowers with orange red throats spring for at least a month. This is a messy and shortlived palo verdy. Usually found on limestone soils in areas with moisture but is strongly drought tolerant. Withstands saline conditions. Can be cold or drought deciduous.
Designer: El Paso Desert Botantical Gard | El Paso Desert Botantical Gardens 11 |
Photographer: GardenSoft |
Practice grass-cycling by leaving short grass clippings on lawns after mowing, so that nutrients and organic matter are returned to the soil.
Apply a layer of mulch around plants to reduce moisture loss.
Choose organic mulches, such as shredded bark, compost or aged sawdust.
Remove irrigation water and fertilizer from areas where you don't want weeds to grow.