Foothill Palo Verde - Jerusalem Thorns, 25+ Seeds (026B)

Description

Foothill Palo Verde,
25+ Seeds (026B)
Foothill Palo Verde
may be a spiny shrub or a small tree. It grows 2 to 8 m (6.6 to 26.2 ft) high, with a maximum height of 10 metres (33 ft). Palo verde may have single or multiple stems and many branches with pendulous leaves. The leaves and stems are hairless. The leaves are alternate and pennate (15 to 20 cm long). The flattened petiole is edged by two rows of 25–30 tiny oval leaflets; the leaflets are soon deciduous in dry weather (and during the winter in some areas) leaving the green petioles and branches to photosynthesize.
The branches grow double or triple sharp spines 7–12 mm (0.28–0.47 in) long at the axils of the leaves. The flowers are yellow- orange and fragrant, 20 mm (0.79 in) in diameter, growing from a long slender stalk in groups of eight to ten. They have five sepals and five petals, four of them clearer and rhomboid ovate, the fifth elongated, with a warmer yellow and purple spots at the base. The flowering period is in the middle months of spring (March–April or September–October). The flowers are pollinated by bees. The fruit is a seedpod, leathery in appearance, light brown when mature.
The pods of
Foothill Palo Verde
contain
seeds
separated by constrictions. These beans are very sweet and can be eaten raw, tasting much like snow peas. The Blue
Palo Verde
pods are flatter with fewer
seeds
per pod. These beans have a slightly bitter taste.
Palo Verde Seed Germination
*
Nick the end of each Palo Verde seed with a utility knife. Press the blade against the seed coat until it is deeply incised but not completely punctured. Soak the nicked seeds in warm water overnight to further weaken the hard, impermeable seed coat.
*
Prepare a planting container for each Palo Verde seed. Use 7-inch plastic pots with at least two drainage holes at the base. Fill the pots with a mixture of 2 parts coarse sand, 1 part compost and 1 part perlite. Add water to the mixture until it feels moderately moist in the top 2 inches.
*
Sow one Palo Verde seed in each pot. Make a planting hole that is 1/4 to 1 inch deep. Place the seed inside the hole and cover it with a loose layer of the growing mixture. Spread a 1/4-inch-thick layer of mulch over the surface to help hold moisture in the soil.
*
Place the pots inside a lightly shaded cold frame. Warm the pots to around 70 degrees Fahrenheit using a germination mat. Check the moisture level in the growing mixture each morning. Add water whenever it feels barely damp in the top 1/2 inch.
*
Watch for the first seedlings in approximately one to two weeks. Remove the germination mat once the seeds sprout. Continue to water whenever the growing mixture dries out in the top 1/2 inch.