The Mexican Palo Verde

The Mexican Palo Verde, which is a medium size brownish trunked, thinner crowned tree, in comparison to the others. C. parkinsonia, is native to Mexico and Baja. This type of tree requires the most maintenance. Borne on the branches are long thin brown "streamers", which drop profusely and require a lot of raking, unless you just let them accumulate. When I first glimpsed the litter under a mature Cercidium located near the bird observation station south of the Salton Sea, I was surprised to see over two feet of litter which had accumulated from only one tree! We have four of these trees on our property: One was gravel blasted during a storm shortly after we planted it. Still alive today, though stunted, it remains healthy. Another was attacked by beetles, cut down to the ground, but has revived as a bright green mass of basal off-shoots. The other two trees, in the front garden, are periodically pruned and require a LOT of hand raking. We have kept all four trees only because they represent examples of a native Cercidium.