On a January evening, in the fading light of the Sonoran Desert, my husband and I paid a visit to the trailhead at Tom Thumb in Scottsdale to watch the sunset and listen for coyotes. Our favorite discovery was this standing guardian of the desert. Her reaching green limbs filtered a warm and moody light that sparkled on the space below. Her presence and the atmosphere were irresistible.
Buzzing and alive with bees, this particular tree has likely been protecting desert creatures for over one hundred years. She is not the only Palo Verde in Scottsdale, but she may be the most beautiful. At twenty feet tall, her canopy is probably thirty feet wide, and she has grown a thick double trunk that is a strong indicator of her long life and resilience. The longer you look, the more beautiful she becomes. She is a tree to love.
January 8, 2026 – Scottsdale, AZ
Palo Verde Facts
- Scientific Name: Parkisonia microphylla
- Arizona’s State Tree
- A flowering keystone species of the Sonoran Desert
- Highly drought tolerant, wind resistant, and adaptive
- Green bark allows photosynthesis even during drought
- One of the most common native trees in the Sonoran Desert
- Found in bajadas and rocky foothills
- May live up to 200 years
- Often called a “nurse tree” of the desert
- Provideds seasonal food for bees and pollinators
- Young saguaros often germinate beneath the canopy
Response
Beautiful and rugged looking with its mustard colors.