PlantFiles: Palo Brea, Sonoran Palo Verde
Parkinsonia praecox

1st year from nursery; planted in Feb. slow to leaf out but once the hot weather hit it started growing very fast. Nursery person said you could stake outer branchs to grow upwards like a bowl.

Wonderful full yellow color when it blooms in May.
Hybrids lose the green color in the bark.

Other synonyms include: Cercidium australe & Cercidium goldmannii.

A comparison between the flowers of five Palo Trees
--The Mexican Palo Verde (Parkinsonia aculeata), the upper petal starts out with red dots that eventually grow bigger and turn the entire top petal to red.
--The Palo Brea (Parkinsonia praecox), the upper petal has smaller & fewer red dots than the Mexican Palo Verde (P. aculeata) that don't grow bigger.
--The Blue Palo Verde (Parkinsonia florida), the upper petal is always a solid yellow just like the other four petals.
--The Little Leaf Palo Verde (parkinsonia microphylla), the upper petal is solid, all white, and the remaining petals are yellow.
--The Palo Brasil (Haematoxylum brasiletto), has flowers similar to Parkinsonia sp., and the top yellow petal has red dendritic streaks.