Parkinsonia sp.
Palo verde, Palo Verde
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Shrub · Variable; species dependent
Parkinsonia sp. (Palo verde) is a non-native California shrub in the Fabaceae family.
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 sp. native to California?
No. Parkinsonia sp. is not native to California (recorded as variable; species dependent).
What plant family does Parkinsonia sp. belong to?
Parkinsonia sp. is in the Fabaceae family, genus Parkinsonia.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-04-14
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.