paloverde

American  

[pal-oh-vur-dee, -vurd] / ˌpæl oʊˈvɜr di, -ˈvɜrd /

noun

1. a spiny, desert shrub, Cercidium floridum, of the legume family, of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico, having green bark.

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Etymology

Origin of paloverde

First recorded in 1850–55, from Spanish (Mexico, southwestern U.S.): literally, “green tree”

Example Sentences

In that fragile period, it likely would have been sheltered by a “nurse tree ” — typically a paloverde, ironwood or mesquite — that protected it from animals and harsh weather.

From Washington Post • Aug. 31, 2022

Even in this relatively lush desert there is only so much to occupy the gaze – limestone outcrops, prickly pear, paloverde, mesquite; the sky and its carnivorous birds – before that gaze turns inwards.

From The Guardian • Mar. 1, 2017

At its center stands a grand Stonehenge-like grouping of basalt columns and paloverde trees.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 31, 2015

At the airport that once welcomed winter-chilled tourists with eight acres of turf and flowers, city officials are in the early stages of replacing the grass with cactus, desert bushes and paloverde trees.

From New York Times • Apr. 4, 2015

Fall rains had brought life to the paloverde trees, making them bright with delicate yellow and orange flowers.

From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer