Palo Verde in my Greenhouse. Really ?

[Jkwinston]

For the last ten years I have tried to grow this plant in London without success. Surprisingly, in the last three years I have managed to keep my one skinny plant alive, in a small pot. Yesterday it surprised me, and produced a small flower splash which I definitely did not expect. Now I know it can be done I will have to decide how best to keep it going. JKw

Manor Park LONDON

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Manor Park LONDON

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Manor Park LONDON

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[Gafoto]

I do love the ‘Desert Museum’ Palo Verde but don’t think I can grow it this far north. Honey Locust is a less interesting substitute. Perhaps I should give it a try, the Italian Cypress I planted last year survived an absolutely awful winter and they are almost never a recommended plant here in Northern Utah.

[Jkwinston]

I do love the ‘Desert Museum’ Palo Verde but don’t think I can grow it this far north. Honey Locust is a less interesting substitute. Perhaps I should give it a try, the Italian Cypress I planted last year survived an absolutely awful winter and they are almost never a recommended plant here in Northern Utah.

I am also shocked that mine survived this last winter, as I lost so many other plants. I used to think Palo Verde should be easy to grow, but here in the UK the combination of wet weather and freezing cold is always deadly. Jkw

[mcvansoest]

Aside from being violently allergic to Palo Verde pollen I can only express bad experiences with these trees - especially the Desert Museum hybrid - yes they look fantastic especially when in full flower. However, cleaning up that flowering mess is an absolute nightmare (even if you are not allergic). The second issue is that it is a particularly soft wood, so especially the large growing varieties have serious issues standing up to any kind of storm. At my old place (a rental) it started out with three good sized DM PVs and throughout the 10 years we lived then, all got blown over in a variety of ways. If not properly removed they will grow back quickly only to just repeat the blown over cycle.

I admire them from a distance, but will never voluntarily grow them.

[Tom in Tucson]

Aside from being violently allergic to Palo Verde pollen I can only express bad experiences with these trees - especially the Desert Museum hybrid - yes they look fantastic especially when in full flower. However, cleaning up that flowering mess is an absolute nightmare (even if you are not allergic). The second issue is that it is a particularly soft wood, so especially the large growing varieties have serious issues standing up to any kind of storm. At my old place (a rental) it started out with three good sized DM PVs and throughout the 10 years we lived then, all got blown over in a variety of ways. If not properly removed they will grow back quickly only to just repeat the blown over cycle.

I admire them from a distance, but will never voluntarily grow them.

I'm not a fan of Parkinsonia 'Desert Museum' or one of the trio of assumed species responsible in it's creation: Parkinsonia aculeata, I do like 2 species: Parkinsonia microphylla and Parkinsonia praecox. (the former being my favorite). The natural hybrid between these 2 is appropriately called Parkinsonia x sonorae and is found only in the Sonoran desert.

BTW, palo verde trees often get blamed for causing hay fever (even my doctor blamed them), but the pollen is not spread by the wind (too large), and is almost exclusively spread by flying insects.

[mcvansoest]

BTW, palo verde trees often get blamed for causing hay fever (even my doctor blamed them), but the pollen is not spread by the wind (too large), and is almost exclusively spread by flying insects.

When I still lived in a yard where I had to clean up the flower debris, I got contact rash. When you are dealing with an inch or two thick layer of discarded flowers from three trees you can only do so much to not get in touch with them, so I am pretty sure it was the PV pollen, but you are right that they are not a walk by and start sneezing plant for me, that is reserved for the desert sage, lol.

I think they are very pretty and the smaller growing true species would be my preference if I ever was forced to grow them again, but it appears that at least in the area here, if you go out to buy a PV, you almost without exception end up with one of the hybrid monsters and I would avoid those at all costs.

[Jkwinston]

Aside from being violently allergic to Palo Verde pollen I can only express bad experiences with these trees - especially the Desert Museum hybrid - yes they look fantastic especially when in full flower. However, cleaning up that flowering mess is an absolute nightmare (even if you are not allergic). The second issue is that it is a particularly soft wood, so especially the large growing varieties have serious issues standing up to any kind of storm. At my old place (a rental) it started out with three good sized DM PVs and throughout the 10 years we lived then, all got blown over in a variety of ways. If not properly removed they will grow back quickly only to just repeat the blown over cycle.

I admire them from a distance, but will never voluntarily grow them.

Very interesting Thijs, your comment, as for me they were always a great challenge on this side of the pond. I have never seen a live tree here in the UK, and for that reason it is fun trying to grow them. One of the mistakes I made was to opt for this urban existence which generally restricts the plants that I could put in the ground. I would gladly have experimented with these plants even in the countryside. I once tried cuttings to no avail, but it is still great to have this baby tree growing. Jkw

[Tom in Tucson]

BTW, palo verde trees often get blamed for causing hay fever (even my doctor blamed them), but the pollen is not spread by the wind (too large), and is almost exclusively spread by flying insects.

When I still lived in a yard where I had to clean up the flower debris, I got contact rash. When you are dealing with an inch or two thick layer of discarded flowers from three trees you can only do so much to not get in touch with them, so I am pretty sure it was the PV pollen, but you are right that they are not a walk by and start sneezing plant for me, that is reserved for the desert sage, lol.

I think they are very pretty and the smaller growing true species would be my preference if I ever was forced to grow them again, but it appears that at least in the area here, if you go out to buy a PV, you almost without exception end up with one of the hybrid monsters and I would avoid those at all costs.

Parkinsonia microphylla is easy and fast from seed w/o any special treatment. Parkinsonia praecox is also easy, but you'll need to scarify them first to achieve the same sprouting time.

BTW, don't buy either of these seeds on line, most seem to be hybrids.

[Paul S]

I tried P. aculeata here. I planted it as a healthy 2ft plant, it grew quickly and well into a 4ft plant that flowered then it died during it's first mild but wet winter. Plenty of other, more hardy, wispy desert trees to grow so I won't try again.