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White
Barked Acacia and Palo Blanco
are the two common names associated
with Acacia willardiana. Palo Blanco
has a slender, upright form that
matures to about 20 feet tall and 10
feet wide. Because of its relatively
small size, this delicate, weepy
desert tree is used as an accent, in
entry areas and patios or to cast
shadows against a wall or building.
It is found on rocky hillsides in
Sonora Mexico and was recently
introduced into southwest
landscapes. Leaves are made up of a
thin 4" midrib that divides to form
two leaflets about 1" long. Each
leaflet then bears ten tiny
leaflets. The canopy on even fairly
mature specimens is almost
transparent providing only very
modest shade. White to cream
colored, rod shape flowers appear in
spring and mature into dark brown,
3" to 8 " long seed pods over the
summer. Trees are deciduous and
grows best in full sun and well
drained soils. Palo Blancos grow
slowly and require little or no
pruning once mature shape is
established. They are reported to be
cold hardy to temperatures in the
mid 20's but can be severely damaged
by temperatures in this range in
lower desert locations. Beside the
lacy form of this tree, its other
distinguishing feature is the
peeling, papery, silver-white bark.
The form and texture can be enhanced
by up lighting at night or when
planted against a contrasting
background. It peeling bark and
beautiful silhouette and small
statue make Palo Blanco an ideal
accent tree in arid landscape
designs. |
