Page 24 - Edible Trees For Tucson

Ironwood

Olneya tesota Fabaceae

D ESCRIPTI O N

Ironwood are broad-crowned evergreen or
drought-deciduous trees, native to the Sonoran
Desert. They grow at elevations below 2,500
feet and are usually found along washes and
xeroriparian corridors and on the lower foothills
(bajadas) of desert mountains. The wood is finely
grained and extremely dense (and does not float
in water). Younger branches have sharp recurved
thorns. The grey bark is smooth on younger
branches and peeling on the older branches and
trunks. Ironwood leaves are pinnately compound,
oblong, grey-blue-green, and finely haired, and
may occur singly and alternate or in clusters. Each
leaflet may be slightly asymmetric, with the tips
entire, blunted or notched. The foliage is dense
and drought-deciduous. The white to pale-purple,
heavily-scented flowers appear in June. They
produce 1-8 seeded, light to red-brown, rounded,
hairy leguminous pods.

E THN O B O T ANI CAL N O TES
• Peoples of the Sonoran Desert used the
wood for building and carving.
• Native Americans leached and cooked
ironwood seeds to be eaten.
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