Re: A strange tree

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Hello,

Yes it is Parkinsonia aculeata. I took seeds from a tree growing in Northern Spain an got lot of seedlings from them. Very easy to germinate and grows fast. More than one meter in a season. Unfortunately, it did not stand our winter and died. It is a nice and drought resistant tree but the thorns are very sharp.

Chantal Guiraud

MGS seed list

Le 23 août 09 à 07:43, Ben Wiswall a écrit :

Hi Chas,

It looks like a Mexican Palo Verde, Parkinsonia aculeata.  I have one growing in an un-irrigated part of my yard.  It's a handsome desert-looking tree, native over a wide range from the West Indies through Mexico and into the southwest.  It's arguably a California native of the Sonoran zone, or at least a Baja California native.

-Ben Armentrout-Wiswall

Simi Valley, inland southern California

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From: Charles Dills <c*@mac.com>
To: Plants Mediterraean <m*@ucdavis.edu>
Sent: Saturday, August 22, 2009 8:45:36 PM
Subject: A strange tree

    I ran across a very strange tree here in San is Obispo  CA.

    It has many micro-leaves.

    It has five petalled flowers with a superficial resemblance to a small orchid.

    I was going to take a picture of the tree but (ugh!) my battery was too low!

    The tree is spreading and about 20 feet tall.

    I'll go take one tomorrow.

    I took a sample of the tree and scanned them.

    They are at the bottom of the page.

    http://www.charlies-web.com/plants_in_bloom/blooming.html

    I would appreciate finding out what it is.    ---Chas---