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The bark of a palo verde tree is green because it's filled with chlorophyll. Unlike most trees, this plant gets a lot of photosynthesizing done through its bark. According toÌý, only about a third of the palo verde's food is produced by the leaves.Ìý

Designated as the Arizona's State Tree in 1954, the palo verde joined the ranks of the cactus wren, bola tie and saguaro cactus blossom as aÌý.

Arizona hosts two native species, the Foothills Palo Verde and the Blue Palo Verde.

The Foothills Palo Verde (Cercidium microphyllum) can be found mostly on rocky slopes. They have a yellow-green trunk, tiny leaves and pods that constrict around the seeds.

The Blue Palo Verde (Cercidium floridum) are usually spotted next water sources, like washes, and have a blue-green trunk.

It's named after theÌýArizona-Sonora Desert Museum. According to aÌý, the name was created about thirty years ago when staff members at the museum began to notice thornless palo verde trees that bloomed throughout the summer.Ìý

The Foothills Palo Verde can live to be about 100 years old.Ìý

The height and low-water maintenance of these trees makes them perfect forÌý.

The Foothills Palo Verde can grow up to 20 feet.

Harvesting happens just before monsoon season.

Pick them when the pod is green and the seed tender. Eat them like you would peas or edamame. They've been known to be a little sweet.

You can also wait to harvest them until the seed is fully developed and the pod is dry. At this stage they're best eaten sprouted.

You can eat these yellow bursts of spring raw. Sprinkle some in your next salad.

Ìýsays most palo verdes can cause few or no allergy symptoms.

The pollen produced by the plant is sticky and heavy, making it difficult to travel far in the wind. However, the large quantities of dried fallen yellow flowers are known to do some damage.

According to aÌý, the palo verde is the primary nursing plant for baby saguaros.