Desert Ironwood
Desert Ironwood (Olneya Tesota)
This desert tree is a “keystone species” that features dense gray-green leaves and light colored bark. It produces purple pea-like blooms in April through June. The desert ironwood is found only in the Sonoran desert, and is extremely hardy and slow-growing.
Ecology: The ironwood is a “nurse tree” that often acts as shelter for young saguaro cactus. In fact, ironwoods increase the germination rates for many species, and its protective shelter increases the survival rate for these other species. The thorny tangled branches also supports hundreds of other desert species, and can increase bird species in their area by 63%.
Fast Facts
- Classic “nurse tree”/keystone species — shades and shelters young saguaros and many other plants, dramatically increasing local biodiversity. It is in indicator species for the Sonoran desert and the lesser long-nosed bat follows the seasonal blooms as it migrates.
- Leguminous: enriches soils via nitrogen inputs and supports hundreds of dependent species (insects, birds, mammals).
- Long-lived structural tree used for nesting, perching and thermal refuge; supports complex plant–animal assemblages.
- Desert Ironwoods are thought to live up to 800 years!
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