Parkinsonia praecox

Parkinsonia praecox (syn. Cercidium praecox), the palo brea or Sonoran palo verde, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae.^[3] It is native to the dry Neotropics from Mexico to Argentina.^[2] A small tree reaching 6 to 9 m (20 to 30 ft), it is usually a bit wider than it is tall.^[3]

P. praecox illustrated in Florae Columbiae.

Parkinsonia praecox
In bloom
Branching structure
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Caesalpinioideae
Genus:	Parkinsonia
Species:	P. praecox
Binomial name
Parkinsonia praecox (Ruiz & Pav.) Hawkins
Synonyms[2]
List Caesalpinia brea Gillies ex Steud. Caesalpinia praecox Ruiz & Pav. Cercidium goldmanii Rose Cercidium plurifoliolatum Micheli Cercidium praecox (Ruiz & Pav.) Harms Cercidium spinosum Tul. Cercidium unijugum Rose Cercidium viride (H.Karst.) H.Karst. Rhetinophloeum viride H.Karst.

Cultivation

Parkinsonia praecox is valued as a xeriscaping ornamental for its yellow wands of early-blooming flowers, its chartreuse-to-green bark, and its graceful branching habit.^[3][4] A drought-adapted species, it drops its leaves in the dry season.^[3][4] Overwatering will cause it to grow rapidly with weak wood, and then it is likely to collapse.^[3]

• 
  A flowering branch
• 
  Leafless
• 
  Close up of leaves and spines
• 
  Trunks of a large individual
• 
  Pods and seeds