Arizona Wild Flowers
Wildflower Pictures And Photos

Ironwood Tree, Olneya tesota

Ironwood Tree, Olneya tesota Photo Taken June 13, 2003 At Date Creek.

Ironwood Tree, Olneya tesota	Ironwood Trees Live Up To 1,500 Years!
Ironwood Tree Leaves	Ironwood Trees Bloom May - June
Ironwood Tree Blossoms	Ironwood Tree Blossom
Ironwood Tree Bark And Spines Young Trees Have Smooth Bark	Ironwood Tree Bark Older Trees Have Rough Bark

Ironwood Tree Olneya tesota, Bean Family Or Pea Family ( Leguminosae ) ( Fabaceae ), Ironwood Tree. Also called Arizona Ironwood, Palo-de-Hierro and Palo-de-Fierro. The ironwood is known as a "nurse plant". It provides a safe place for seed germination, and protects the seedlings. Over 230 plant species have been recorded growing under the ironwoods canopy. Its seeds provide food for many doves, quail, and rodents. Insects thrive in the ironwood canopy, which also attracts birds and reptiles. They make their home under and in the ironwood, thus providing prey for cactus owls, hawks and coyotes. Ironwoods are one of the longest living trees in the Sonoran desert, they are known to live as long as 1,500 years. The wood of the desert ironwood is very hard and dense. It will sink in water. It is also very difficult to cut. The Ironwood is an evergreen tree. It is often used in landscape plantings as a shade tree. Height: The tallest trees on the Sonoran Desert, reaching heights of 15 to 25 feet, but they can grow as tall as 30 feet. Flowers: Clusters of pea-like flowers ranging from pink, pale-rose, to white, grow in archs at the end of branches. Blooming Time: May to June. Stems/Trunks : The trunks can reach a diameter of 24 inches on very old trees. The bark on young branches is gray and smooth. Older bark becomes wrinkled and creased, eventually shredding on older trunks. Leaves: Ironwood has leathery, compound, pinnate leaves about 2 inches long with 6 to 9 leaflets about 3/4 inche long. The leaves are covered with fine hairs. A pair of thorns about 1/2 inch long grows at the base of each leaf. During dry seasons, ironwoods will drop many of their leaves to conserve water. They do not drop all of their leaves. Seed Pod: Brown, bean-like seedpods about 2 inches long. Each seedpod has 1 to 4 brown beans in it. Elevation: 0 - 2000 Feet. Habitat: Sandy washes where water is available. Near sandy washes. Below 2000'. Sonoran Desert. Miscellaneous: Flowering Photos Taken In Glendale. Later In Congress Junction. June 13, 2003.