Page 37 - Edible Trees For Tucson

arroyos. Foothills palo verde can be found on
slopes and plains, while blue palo verde prefers
desert washes with ironwood and mesquite.
Foothills is a slow growing, smaller shrub-like
tree, while blues are moderate to fast-growing
tall, spreading trees. They occur from sea level to
4,000 feet in elevation.
• Chill hours: None required.
• Height/Width: 25-30 feet in height.
• Lifespan: Long-lived.
• Water needs: Drought tolerant.
• Soils: Prefer well-drained soils.
• Microclimates: Plant in full sun; trees are hardy
to 10ºF. In natural environments, palo verde
serve as nurse trees for other species.
• Pollination: Flowers are insect pollinated.

CARE
• Blue palo verdes require more pruning than
foothills because they tend to spread and
have more secondary branches. Pruning
can include raising the crown base height to
giveing a more urban-friendly form.
• The trees are generally disease resistant;
however, cultivated blue palo verde trees
may be damaged by witches broom,
mistletoe, and palo verde root rot.

H AR VES T
The flowers and seeds of both species are edible.
Harvest green and dry pods before the summer
monsoon rains. Eat fresh or cooked. The green
seeds should be sweet. Dry seeds are best eaten
sprouted, or sprouted and then parched/roasted.

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