Pithecellobium mexicanum    
Mexican ebony   
Fabaceae Family     

Form: small rounded tree or shrub; upright tree when given adequate water
Seasonality: deciduous
Size: in nature 20ft, spread 15ft; on irrigation to 45ft, with spread 1/2 to 3/4 height
Leaves: bipinnately compound, gray-green, in pairs; originate from nodules on twigs; attractive, open shade
Flowers: light yellow loose puffballs, 1in across
Fruit: pods, 3in long 1in wide, green maturing to brown
Stems/Trunks: armed with many small thorns, dual spines grow from same nodules that give rise to leaves
Range/Origin: Mexican states of Baja California, Sonora, and Sinaloa; on washes, slopes and plains
Hardiness: to 18°F

LANDSCAPE VALUE:

• barrier plant when shrubby
• specimen or shade tree when on supplemental water
• medians

Pithecellobium mexicanum

CULTURAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Exposure: full sun
• Water: natural rainfall; for better growth, supplement with 2-3 irrigations per month
• Soil: tolerant, best in loose, well-drained
• Propagation:seed
• Maintenance: minimal; training to tree when young if desired

NOTES:

good-looking tree, underused