The green paloverde (Parkinsonia microphylla) is the State Tree of Arizona and common on Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. Many birds nest in it in the spring. The name means “green stick” in Spanish, which refers to the tree’s green bark. The bark is green because it contains chlorophyll, which helps it make energy from sunlight by the process of photosynthesis. When conditions are dry, the tree drops its leaves to conserve water, but it can keep making energy in its bark.
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