Paloverde, << `pah` loh VAIR day, >> sometimes spelled palo verde, is a group of thorny trees that bear small yellow flowers. Paloverdes grow in the dry regions of the southwestern United States. They grow along the sides of desert canyons and dry stream beds in southern and central Arizona, southeastern California, and northwestern Mexico. Paloverdes are the state tree of Arizona.
A paloverde grows from 15 to 30 feet (4.6 to 9 meters) tall, and its trunk may be up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) in diameter. It has green bark and leaves about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) long that unfold in late March or April. The leaves fall almost as soon as they are full grown, and the tree is usually bare by late summer. In late April and May, paloverdes bear small yellow flowers.
A paloverde produces seed pods 2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 centimeters) long. Each pod usually contains two to four large seeds. Native Americans once dried the seeds and ground them into meal, or ate immature seeds raw. Paloverdes have little commercial value. But the roots help hold loose desert soil together and slow erosion (wearing away) of the soil.
