The Littleleaf Palo Verde, also called the Foothills Palo Verde,
is a small native tree to the Tucson area. Like other Palo
verdes, the green bark allows the tree to conduct photosynthesis
even when the tree is leafless. Most desert native trees are
both drought and cold deciduous, conserving both water and
energy. Use the Littleleaf Palo Verde in desert landscaping as
either a tree, or if not pruned, a large shrub. This is a slow
growing tree, but will pick up the pace if you provide it
supplemental water, especially during the hot months. Littleleaf
Palo Verde and the Sahuaro are considered “indicator” plants, as
when growing in a natural environment it usually “indicates”
that citrus will grow well there too. This is not a fail-safe
assumption, since the hard freeze of 2010 hit citrus trees hard
no matter where they were planted. Reference: Mountain States
Wholesale Nursery and Gregg Starr Nursery Plant Info Sheet,
1999.