Prosopis velutina

Olneya tesota

Common Name: Ironwood, Desert Ironwood
Oˊodham Name: hoˊidkam Audio
Group: Trees － Desert

Description

Olneya tesota is a large, slow growing tree up to 30 ft tall and almost as wide in optimum habitat. It usually grows in or near a wash at 500 to 3500 ft elevation. In the lower deserts it forms a sparse, but dominant flora in combination with Carnegia gigantea. In the Spring, the many spiny branches erupt with purple and white flowers. Bees make excellent honey from the flowers and the wood is used for producing carvings.

entire plant
young tree
stems

Classification

Kingdom Plantae － Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta － Vascular plants

Superdivision Spermatophyta － Seed plants

Division Magnoliophyta － Flowering plants

Class Magnoliopsida － Dicotyledons

Subclass Rosidae

Order Fabales

Family Fabaceae － Pea family

Genus Olneya A. Gray － olneya

Species Olneya tesota A. Gray － desert ironwood

More Information

USDA Plant Profile and Map