blue palo verde, Parkinsonia florida

Palo verde translates to green stick. The bark of palo verdes is green, in this case kind of a bluish green. The leaves only appear if water is available, which it often isn't in the arid areas where this grows. Photosynthesis goes on in all seasons in the bark. This is not uncommon in plants from arid areas, with cactus being our foremost example. But then, think how many green stems you see wherever you are. Nature never passes on an opportunity. The pods and seeds were an important food for Native Americans. Blue palo verde grows in AZ, CA, and NV. Foellinger-Freimann Conservatory, Ft Wayne IN, 9/17/16. Bean family, Fabaceae.