Parkinsonia microphylla
Little-leaved palo verde, Little-Leaved Palo Verde
(c) Bob Miller, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Shrub / Tree · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.3
Parkinsonia microphylla (Little-leaved palo verde) is a native California shrub / tree in the Fabaceae family, recognized by shrubby habit, broom-like branches, and small cream-white flowers.
Little-leaved palo verde is a California native shrub found in desert regions on rock slopes at elevations around 600 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces cream-white flowers with delicate, widely ovate banner petals approximately 10 to 14 millimeters long. Growing as a small tree 3 to 9 meters tall, it features distinctive broom-like branches with ascending or spreading form and thorn-tipped ends. Its yellow-green leaves are composed of a single pair of primary leaflets with 8 to 16 secondary leaflets, each just 1 to 5 millimeters long and typically early-deciduous. The fruit develops as a brown pod less than 11 centimeters long, with a distinctive beak-like tip that often ends in a spine.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; key features are shrubby habit, broom-like branches, and small cream-white flowers
Habitat and range
Habitat: rock slopes
Elevation: +- 600 m.
California counties: San Bernardino, Riverside, Imperial
Outside California: to Arizona, northwestern Mexico
Bloom period
Parkinsonia microphylla blooms Apr-May (generally 2 weeks after.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.3
How to tell it apart
vs Neltuma: Parkinsonia has bright green bark and spine-like leaf stems; Neltuma has brown bark and normal compound leaves.; vs Acacia: Parkinsonia has green bark and straight spines at nodes; California Acacias have gray bark and fluffy ball flowers.; vs Senna: Parkinsonia has prominent spines at nodes and green bark; Senna is spineless with normal bark.; vs Psorodendron: Parkinsonia has straight spines at nodes and green bark; Psorodendron has spine-tipped branches.; vs Vachellia: Parkinsonia has green photosynthetic bark; Vachellia has gray-brown bark and paired white spines.
Frequently asked questions
Is Parkinsonia microphylla native to California?
Yes. Parkinsonia microphylla is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Parkinsonia microphylla bloom?
Parkinsonia microphylla blooms Apr-May (generally 2 weeks after.
Where in California does Parkinsonia microphylla grow?
Parkinsonia microphylla occurs in San Bernardino, Riverside, Imperial, at elevations of +- 600 m..
What plant family does Parkinsonia microphylla belong to?
Parkinsonia microphylla is in the Fabaceae family, genus Parkinsonia.
Is Parkinsonia microphylla rare or endangered?
Parkinsonia microphylla carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.3, state rank S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.