Ironwood, Olneya tesota

Photo of an Ironwood tree with pinkish blossoms
The Ironwood Tree's pink Flowers Add a Soft Touch of Color to the Desert Sky

The crowds who come to the desert to see the flowers in winter and spring have mostly stopped coming when the Ironwood starts to flower in May or June. Ironwood is a shrub or tree that may grow as high as 30 feet, making it the tallest native tree in Anza-Borrego. It is a Fabaceae, a member of the Legume or Bean or Pea family. The stems have thorns. The leaves are pinnate like the leaves of mesquite and catclaw which are also Fabaceae. The fruits hang in pods. The flowers are characteristiclly small, and in this case softly purple or white or pink. From a distance, you should be able to notice the contrast between these colors and the sky behind them. Individual Ironwood trees may attain an age of 1,500 years.

Look for the Ironwood in sandy washes such as the San Felipe Wash, especially from the Narrows eastward (where it crosses Borrego Valley Road), or in Hawk Canyon.

Photo showing the leaves and flowers of an Ironwood treet against a background of blue sky