02/15/2026
I couldn't more. Palo Verdes are beautiful and important for wildlife habitat.
Everyone should have this tree in their yard. The blue palo verde (Parkinsonia florida) is one of the defining overstory trees of southern Arizona. In spring these trees make a display of gorgeous flowers that rival the cherry blossoms of Japan. What is more, these trees are a wildlife haven—hosting numerous insects. The blooms in particular draw so many pollinators including countless native bee species. An unfortunate association with the color yellow and allergies have many people convinced that their allergies are caused by this species. But just as we’ve learned that the famous goldenrod of the northern states (also native to Arizona) is not allergenic, and has sticky pollen which has evolved to stick to pollinators, we’ve learned that the palo verdes are also unfairly blamed for the pollen that many grass species (especially the invasive species like Bermuda grass and buffelgrass) or ragweeds are actually responsible for during the time this tree blooms. Blue palo verde is a medium to large, deciduous tree (photosynthetic trunk) growing up to about 30’. Full sun, low water when established, hardy to 10°F. Flowers provide nectar for bees, butterflies, and the tree itself is an important nesting plant for birds. Seeds are attractive to granivorous birds, several moth and beetle species depend on this species as adults and larvae, the the mistletoe found in palo verdes is important to phainopepla birds. That mistletoe is also a larval host for the great purple hairstreak (Atlides halesus). The palo verde beetle (Derobrachus hovorei) is often blamed for killing these trees when much more often the dropping water table is to blame. Palo verde beetles don’t cause enough damage to harm the tree, and some say that the root pruning is actually more beneficial. They mostly eat dead roots. It makes sense, as always, that it doesn’t make sense for native insects that evolved for thousands or millions of years with a species of food plant to kill its host species. Palo verde beetles may be terrifying to people—who has been caught by surprise by these giant flying beetles? But they are harmless, and just another important component to our local ecology.
