While staying in Mesquite, Nevada for a night on a road trip we came upon this lovely drought tolerant landscape (minus the golf course in the background). It features a full grown and very healthy Palo Verde Tree. Mesquite only gets about nine inches of rain a year so this low water planting is perfect for that.
Facts about Palo Verde Trees
- It has green bark, which is unusual. In fact, it can photosynthesize using it’s bark!
- The Palo Verde can grow up to 30 feet tall in the right conditions although most only get to be 15- 2 feet tall making them great for small yard and under power lines.
- They produce lots of yellow flowers in the spring. They can be messy that time of year when everything drops, but the spectacular color is worth it.
- They are highly drought resistant. You will need to water your tree every few days after plated. The first year it should be watered weekly to get established. After that, it needs to be watered at most monthly, but I never water my three year old tree as I feel it is adapted to a low water climate. If you want it to grow quicker though, you will need to water your tree.
- Because this is a desert tree, it is prone to frost damage and should not be planted in places where you may get yearly frost.
