Mexican ironwood carving is a Mexican tradition of carving the wood of the Olneya tesota tree, a Sonora Desert tree commonly called ironwood (palo fierro in Spanish). Olneya tesota is a slow growing important shade tree in northwest Mexico and the southwest U.S.

Olneya tesota is a perennial flowering tree of the family Fabaceae, legumes (peas, beans, etc.), which is commonly known as ironwood, desert ironwood, or palo fierro in Spanish. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Olneya. This tree is part of the western Sonoran Desert in Mexico and United States.

Desert ironwood, or palo fierro in Spanish, provides many wildlife and plants with habitat and resources critical to their survival. While scientists do not consider ironwood endangered or threatened as a species, its populations are dwindling …

The tree known in the U.S./Mexico borderlands as desert ironwood or palo fierro (Olneya tesota) is one of many woody legumes found in washes and hillside drainages in the Sonoran Desert. It ranks among the most ecologically and economically important plant species in the region.

Jan 11, 2022 · Desert ironwood is also referred to as Tesota, Palo de Hierro, Palo de Fierro, or Palo Fierro. It is the largest and longest living of the Sonoran Desert plants and can grow as high as 45 feet (14 m.) and live as long as 1,500 years.

Spanish: palo fierro, palo de hierro. CHARACTERISTICS Medium sized, thorny, mostly evergreen tree (except in extreme cold), reaching about 30’ tall and wide. Flowering usually occurs in May in southern Arizona.

Olneya tesota (Desert Ironwood) is a slow-growing, evergreen tree native to the Sonoran Desert. Known for its striking, durable wood and vibrant purple blossoms, it is highly valued for both its ecological benefits and ornamental qualities. A key player in desert ecosystems, it provides habitat and nourishment for wildlife.

May 31, 2021 · A member of the Leguminosae family, Desert ironwood’s natural boundaries correspond closely with those of the Sonoran Desert. Additional names for this endemic tree within the U.S./Mexico borderlands include Ironwood, Palo Fierro, and Palo de …

A detailed description for Olneya tesota, Desert Ironwood, Southwest Desert Flora, Fabaceae or Leguminosae Family; also called Desert-Ironwood, Ironwood (ES: Palo Fierro, Palo de Hierro, Tèsota).

Jul 28, 2023 · The ironwood tree, known in Mexico as palo fierro, is native to the Sonoran desert region which encompasses parts of Western Mexico, including the Baja Peninsula and Arizona. It's an extremely slow-growing tree (although they can grow in excess of thirty-three feet) which is hard, dark, and dense; it will actually sink in water.