Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Foothill Palo Verde
Foothill Palo Verde is one of the most common trees on the rocky slopes of the Sonoran Desert. It is also one of the two native palo verdes that share the title of Arizona state tree. It grows slowly into a small tree, often with several gnarled trunks, about 10 to 20 feet tall and wide. The bark is yellow-green and stays green when the tiny leaves are gone. In spring, a few weeks after blue palo verde, it fills with pale yellow flowers that draw bees, and once it is rooted it needs very little water.
Best for: native desert gardens, rocky slopes and gravelly soil, yards with less room than a blue palo verde needs, and bees and birds on very little water.
In the wild it grows on rocky slopes and foothills. It does best in coarse, gravelly soil that drains fast, so it fits banks, slopes and native desert gardens. Backfill with the native soil you dug out, and set it no deeper than it grew in the pot.
It usually tops out around 10 to 20 feet tall and wide, a bit smaller than blue palo verde. The twisting trunks and lime-green bark give it a sculpted look. Plant trees 12 to 20 feet apart, or use one as a small tree up front or a large shrub in the background.
Pale yellow flowers open in April or May. Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds visit them, and birds use the seeds and the cover of the branches. In the desert, young saguaros often get their start in its shade.
It does not handle lawns, frequent watering or soggy ground. Every small branch ends in a stiff, sharp spine, and the canopy grows low. Seed pods drop in summer, and with the flowers they can leave heavy litter near a pool, so plant it back from the pool and paths.
- Trees in a group12-15 ft apart
- Looser planting15-20 ft apart
Water every 3 to 4 days for the first two weeks, then every 6 to 7 days, then every 7 to 10 days. By weeks 7 and 8, water about every 10 to 14 days. A new tree needs steady water for its first few months.
A deep soak about once a month in summer is enough. Water at the outer edge of the canopy, and give less in the cool months. Keep it off lawn sprinklers and frequent watering.
Prune it only when it is needed. Train a young tree early so you avoid big cuts later, and raise low branches a little at a time. Wear gloves and long sleeves, since the branch tips end in sharp spines.
Skip fertilizer, since palo verdes grow in poor desert soil and do not need feeding.
Root borers, witches broom and mistletoe all show up on palo verdes. Healthy trees hold up best. Cut out mistletoe clumps when you see them.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does Foothill Palo Verde get?
Most reach about 10 to 20 feet tall and about as wide. Older trees can get to about 25 feet. It stays a little smaller than blue palo verde.
How fast does Foothill Palo Verde grow?
It grows slowly, more slowly than blue palo verde or Desert Museum Palo Verde. Extra water in the dry season can speed it up. It can also live for hundreds of years.
How far apart should I plant Foothill Palo Verde?
Plant about 12 to 15 feet apart, center to center, for a group, or 15 to 20 feet apart for a looser planting. The Spacing tab shows both.
Does Foothill Palo Verde have thorns?
Yes. The branches are not lined with thorns, but each small branch ends in a stiff, sharp spine. Wear gloves and long sleeves when you prune it.
When does it bloom, and why are the flowers so pale?
April or May in southern Arizona, about three weeks after blue palo verde. Each flower has four yellow petals and one whitish petal, so the tree looks pale yellow in bloom.
How much water does Foothill Palo Verde need?
Very little once it is rooted. A deep soak about once a month in summer is common, and new trees need regular water for the first few months. It does not handle frequent watering, lawns or soggy soil, so water deep and spaced out.
Why does my Foothill Palo Verde have almost no leaves?
That is normal for this tree. The tiny leaves come out after summer or winter rains and drop as it dries out, so it is bare much of the year. The green bark keeps making food for the tree. In long dry spells it can also shed some branches.
How should I prune Foothill Palo Verde?
Lightly, and only when needed. Take out dead wood, broom clumps and mistletoe, and raise the lowest branches if you need clearance. Training a young tree early avoids big cuts later.
Can I plant it near my pool?
It is better set back from the pool. The seed pods drop in summer, and together with the flowers they can leave heavy litter. The spiny branch tips are another reason to give it room.
What is digging holes around my palo verde in summer?
Usually the palo verde root borer. Its grubs grow several inches long and feed on roots underground. The adult beetles climb out through holes in the soil during the monsoon. Healthy trees hold up best, so keep it on deep, spaced-out watering.
What are the dense clumps of twigs in my tree?
Those are witches broom, tight clusters of short twigs without thorns. It is caused by a virus that tiny mites spread, and there is no cure. You can cut the clumps out, but they usually come back.
How does it compare with blue palo verde, Desert Museum Palo Verde and palo brea?
Blue grows bigger and faster, with blue-green bark and brighter flowers a few weeks earlier. Desert Museum Palo Verde is a thornless cross, part foothill, that grows fast to about 20 to 30 feet. Palo brea is also faster, with bright green bark, and takes less cold. Foothill is the smallest and slowest of the four.
Foothill Palo Verde for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Foothill Palo Verde is a slow-growing Sonoran Desert native with lime-green bark, a gnarled, multi-trunked shape and a pale yellow bloom in spring. It gets by on very little water once it is rooted. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard, from size, water and pruning to how it compares with blue palo verde, Desert Museum Palo Verde and palo brea.
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Foothill Palo Verde, a state tree of Arizona
Arizona made the palo verde its state tree in 1954, and foothill palo verde shares the title with blue palo verde. It is one of the most common trees on rocky slopes across the Sonoran Desert. Palo verde means green stick in Spanish.
How big does Foothill Palo Verde get in Phoenix?
Plan on about 10 to 20 feet tall and wide, and older trees can reach about 25 feet. It grows slowly and often has several gnarled trunks. It reads more like a small tree or a large shrub than a big shade tree.
How often do you water a Foothill Palo Verde?
Once it is rooted it needs little to no extra water. A deep soak about once a month through summer is common. Frequent watering, lawn sprinklers and soil that stays wet are what cause trouble.
Yellow-green bark and tiny leaves
Young trunks and branches are yellow-green to lime green, and the bark makes food for the tree. Its leaves are the smallest of any palo verde and show up mainly after rains. The tree still looks green while it is bare.
When does Foothill Palo Verde bloom?
In April or May in southern Arizona, about three weeks behind blue palo verde. Four yellow petals and one whitish petal give each flower its soft color. Masses of light yellow flowers can cover the whole tree.
Foothill Palo Verde, bees, birds and saguaros
Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds visit the flowers. Birds and other wildlife eat the seeds and use the tree for cover. In the desert, young saguaros often grow up under a palo verde, which shields them from harsh sun and cold.
Foothill Palo Verde vs Blue Palo Verde
Foothill is smaller and slower, with yellow-green bark and paler flowers that open about three weeks later. Blue grows about 20 to 30 feet with blue-green bark. Both are native, both have thorns, and both carry the state tree title.
Foothill Palo Verde vs Desert Museum Palo Verde
Desert Museum Palo Verde is a natural cross with foothill palo verde as one of its parents. It has no thorns, grows fast and upright, and reaches about 20 to 30 feet. Foothill stays smaller, grows slowly and has spiny branch tips.
How cold hardy is Foothill Palo Verde?
It is rated hardy to about 10 to 15°F. Like other palo verdes, it can go bare in cold weather, and the green bark keeps the tree going until the leaves return.
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