Floriferous State Trees

About this episode

The episode discusses the classification changes of Arizona's state trees, specifically the palo verdes and their genus names.

Initially the two Arizona state tree palo verdes were the genus Cercidium. That’s the way I learned them and that’s the genus name you’ll find in all the older floras and field guides. Well, not that older, and anyway, Parkinsonia (the Linnaeus name) was the genus of just the Mexican palo verde, Parkinsonia aculeata. Sometime in the 1980s — I think, I dunno, feeling older— when it was realized that all three paloverdes were similar genetically and since Parkinsonia had been named first, that name had priority. Dropping Cercidiun was hard, but hey I got over it and I love…

People in this episode

Host: Petey Mesquitey

Topics covered

• state trees
• botany
• genus classification
• Arizona flora
• palo verde

Keywords

• palo verde
• Cercidium
• Parkinsonia
• Arizona state tree
• botanical classification

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Cercidium, Parkinsonia, Parkinsonia aculeata

Places: Arizona, Mexico

More episodes of Growing Native with Petey Mesquitey

• Amphibians and Reptiles, Oh My! · June 7, 2026 · 4 min
• A Jaunt to the Woodlands · May 31, 2026 · 4 min
• Scruffy Grassland Report · May 23, 2026 · 4 min
• Urban Renewal, Wild Escape and Shindaggers · May 17, 2026 · 4 min
• Penstemon Stuff! · May 10, 2026 · 5 min
• Drive-By Bebbia in the Borderlands · May 3, 2026 · 4 min