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The desert ironwood tree , Olneya tesota , can be found growing only in the Sonoran Desert of Mexico , California and Arizona . Check out these striking photos of ironwoods .
A desert tree
Desert ironwoods grow along the dry washes of the desert region , below 2 , 500 feet ( 762 meters ) in aggrandisement . The desert ironwood tree plays an important role in the survival of more than 500 different plant and animals of the Sonoran Desert . ( Credit : Linda & Dr. Dick Busche )
A spot to cool off
The home ground of the desert ironwood tree tree is almost an indistinguishable equal to the boundary of the Sonoran Desert . The ironwood Tree shelter an oasis of fecund terrain for other organism survive in the challenging and harsh desert landscape painting . The canopy of an ironwood tree can grow so obtuse that air temperature within its ghost may be up to 15 degrees cooler than under the open , desert sun . ( deferred payment : PimaCounty.gov )
Bilingual tree
Desert ironwood is also known as " palo fierro " in Spanish . It is noted for its slow charge per unit of growth . It is also view to be the existence ’s dense wood . A small-arm of iron tree , when cut from the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , will actually slump when place into pee . ( Credit : Linda & Dr. Dick Buscher )
The ancient of the desert
Scientists refer to the desert iron tree tree as the " old - increase " tree of the Sonoran Desert . Because of the density of the Natalie Wood , common tree - closed chain dating is difficult . unspoilt estimates show that some trees are upwards of 800 years honest-to-god , and a few are thought to be as old as 1,500 years . Such old age sure make the desert rose chestnut one of the longest - living flora of the Sonoran Desert . ( Credit : Linda & Dr. Dick Buscher )
Big trees
The desert ironwood tree is the only member of the Olneya genus . It belong to the Fabaceae or pea family . The leaves of the Ostrya virginiana tree , as well as its flowers , mirror those of a sweet pea plant . The desert Ostrya virginiana tree diagram can grow to a elevation of 45 feet ( 14 m ) . The tree is commonly multi - trunked . In the old - growth trees , trunks have been encounter to achieve a diameter of 24 inches ( 61 centimeters ) . ( Credit : NPS )
change with historic period
The barque of young Tree and young branch tend to be smooth and a whitish - Zane Grey in colour . This whitish - grey colour gives the desert rose chestnut a unique and typical appearance in the Sonoran Desert landscape . Small , sharp thorns are often found on the younger bark . Over the years , the old barque becomes black in color , rumple and wrinkled in appearance . ( citation : Linda & Dr. Dick Buscher )
Defense
The foliage of the ironwood tree are compound pinnate . okay hair’s-breadth cover each leaf and they have a leathery texture . Leaves incline to be about 2 inches ( 5 cm ) long with six to nine leaflets attached . At the theme of each leaf is a pair of 0.5 - column inch - long ( 1.3 cm ) thorns . ( recognition : Linda & Dr. Dick Buscher )
coloured contrast
The lavender , pinkish and white flush of the desert ironwood tree appear in late April through early June . They originate in clustering at the end of the branches . rose chestnut flower make for a prominent video display of color across the predominately browned and black landscape painting that is so uncouth in the Sonoran Desert . ( reference : Linda & Dr. Dick Buscher )
solid food for all
By former July , 2 - inch - long ( 5 cm ) seedpod have formed . Each seedcase contains from one to four glossy brown seminal fluid . The seeds are of the essence for selection for many Sonoran Desert mammals , skirt and even the early Native Americans , who once made the opened desert their home . ( Credit : Linda & Dr. Dick Buscher )
ample oasis
The enriched and shaded soil find beneath an ironwood Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree provides an incredible home ground for many kinds of desert plants and animal to grow and survive . Insects thrive within the ironwood complex , as do snort , reptiles and mammal . subject field have documented more than 64 mammal and 60 reptilian species using the Ostrya virginiana tree for cover , foraging and a place to give nascence to their young . More than 150 mintage of bird make manipulation of the ironwood ’s shaded sanctuary , too . ( Credit : Linda & Dr. Dick Buscher )
A nurturing home ground
The spook of the ironwood tree acts as an ideal " nurse plant . " More than 250 coinage of Sonoran Desert plants have been documented starting their increase in the atomic number 7 - rich , shadowed soil found under the desert iron-tree tree diagram . Here , some dark - flower genus Cereus cacti grow under the protective shade of a desert ironwood Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . ( Credit : Linda & Dr. Dick Buscher )
Natural medication
The ironwood Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree was the " local drugstore " for former Sonoran Desert human residents . A paste made from the tooth root could apparently bring around gum infection , and tea made from the leaves is said to facilitate with asthma . The Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ’s hard wood was used for fence mail , firewood and arrowheads . ( Credit : Linda & Dr. Dick Buscher )
economical boost
The Seri Indians of northern Mexico have long carved intricate figures of plant and animate being from the toilsome wood of the tree to make money for their families and home . Seri custom believes that figures created from the ironwood tree tree bring tenacious living and in force fortunes . ( Credit : Linda & Dr. Dick Buscher )
protection in the desert
The desert ironwood tree creates a beautiful oasis across the harsh Sonoran Desert environment . The sheltered and productive habitat detect under each ironwood tree tree is crucial to the survival of 100 of other plant and animal species . Given enough water , the desert ironwood Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree remains evergreen all year long even in the extreme warmth of another Sonoran Desert summertime . ( Credit : BLM )
