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Blue Palo Verde, Cercidium floridum

Photograph of Blue Palo Verde tree in Palo Verde Wash
Blue Palo Verde, Cercidium floridum
Fabaceae

This tree has a kind of spooky grace about it. You may turn to it for shade while walking in a desert wash on a sunny day. The tree's blue-green twigs and branches not only give it its name but also are the means by which the tree gets its nutrients. It is well worth it after a rain in March or April to drive out in search of Blue Palo Verde when it is in flower. This is when this otherwise spooky-looking tree is in its glory.

Photo of a Palo Verde tree covered with yellow blossoms
Blue Palo Verde, Cercidium floridum
Fabaceae