RETAMA Lluvia de Oro
Parkinsonia aculeata - Caesalpiniaceae, Caesalpinia Family
DESCRIPTION:
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Attractive, small, diffuse tree with
green branches armed with weakly recurved spines, drooping feathery foliage and
showy bright-yellow flowers.
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Height: 15-30 feet.
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Flowers: Bright yellow with red
within; blooms throughout most of the year.
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Fruit: 2 to 4-inch-long pods.
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Foliage: Deciduous; leaflets drop
during drought.
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Bark: Green when young; scaly, brown
on older trunks.
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Growth rate: Fast.
REQUIREMENTS:
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Sun: Full (partial shade to full
sun).
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Soil: Any.
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Drainage: Good to low, frequent on
poorly drained sites.
Water.- Low, drought tolerant; slightly salt tolerant.
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Maintenance: Usually free of insect
pests and disease; can train to single trunk or prune back to form a shrub;
abundant seed litter.
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Propagation: Seed.
NATIVE HABITAT:
Wooded areas near rivers and resacas.
WILDLIFE USE:
Leaves and pods feed deer and
livestock-, bees use flowers when preferred plants are absent; doves and
bobwhites use seeds
COMMENTS:
Pods ground as flour, tea steeped
from leaves for treating diabetes and as fever remedy; fuel; papermaking.
Provides an area with fast-growing filtered shade; continual blooming of
flamboyant flowers and unusual feathery foliage make this a good accent tree in
patios, courtyards or other small areas.
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