Cercidium

The name, palo verde, is Spanish in origin, translating to "green pole or green stick".

Historically, native people gathered the pods from this tree, a member of the legume family, and ground the seeds into meal which was formed into cakes and baked or used as a porridge. Catherine Saubel relates the trees were known as "u'uwet" by the early desert Cahuillas, who lived in our area. All three varieties in our garden are spine-bearing, but perhaps a recent new cultivar is available with fewer or no spines. You might want to investigate at your favorite nursery!