Parkinsonia Aculeata, Palo Verde - 0.5 kg Seeds

Jerusalem Thorn or Palo Verde, Parkinsonia aculeata, is a fast-growing, thorny small tree of the pea family valued for its toughness in hot, dry and saline conditions. Native to tropical America and now naturalised across arid and semi-arid India, it has distinctive green photosynthetic bark, wispy feathery leaves and a long display of bright yellow, lightly fragrant flowers. It is widely used for ornamental planting, living hedges and fences, windbreaks, fuelwood, fodder and for stabilising and reclaiming poor, eroded and alkaline soils where little else will grow.

• Family: Fabaceae
• Native region: Tropical America (naturalised in arid India)
• Mature height: 6–10 m
• Growth rate: Fast

The hard-coated seeds need their dormancy broken before they will sprout reliably. Pour hot water over them and let them soak for 24 hours as the water cools (or scarify the coat by nicking), then direct-sow or sow into bags about 1.5–2 cm deep in well-drained sandy soil kept warm and moist. Germination is quick once treated, usually within one to two weeks; the drought-hardy seedlings establish fast and can be field-planted into dry sites with minimal aftercare.