If “verde” translates to “green”, then what color is blue palo verde, Parkinsonia florida? It is simply a bit more bluish green than other species that are a bit more yellowish. Its bark contains chlorophyll to photosynthesize without foliage. Blue palo verde is deciduous so defoliates for winter. Then, it defoliates in response to dryness through much of summer.

Blue palo verde in the wild may develop and retain foliage only during early spring. With landscape irrigation, it can retain some foliage through summer. It can also produce a bit more prior to late autumn defoliation. However, frequent irrigation promotes vigorous but structurally deficient growth. Few blue palo verdes thrive for a century within landscapes.

Blue palo verde can grow almost forty feet tall, but typically grows only about half as tall. It naturally grows as large shrubbery. Removal of lower growth exposes sculptural trunks for small tree form. With staking, trees can develop single trunks. Light yellow flowers are tiny but profuse during spring bloom. Blue palo verde is the Official State Tree of Arizona.