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Floristic Inventory of the Florida Keys Database Online

Parkinsonia aculeata L.
Mexican palo verde, Jerusalam thorn

Parkinsonia aculeata
Copyright by: Forest & Kim Starr

Family: Fabaceae

Group: Dicot

Substrate: Terrestrial

Habit: Tree

Perennation: Perennial

Native Range: Southern United States (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona) and Mexico; widely cultivated and naturalized elsewhere.

Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida

SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence: Present

SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status: Not Native, Naturalized

SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status: Cultivated

Comments: For more images, click on the USDA PLANTS and Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants links below.

FLORIDA KEYS Occurrence: Present

FLORIDA KEYS Native Status: Not Native, Naturalized

Map of select IRC data for the Florida Keys

Florida Keys History and Distribution: Reported in 1884 by J. Cosmo Melvill for the island of Key West.  Reported in 1913 by John Kunkel Small for hammocks and disturbed areas on the island of Key West.  Sparingly naturalized from the upper Keys to the lower Keys.

Other data on Parkinsonia aculeata available from :


Parkinsonia aculeata has been reported from the following 4 conservation areas in the FLORIDA KEYS :
Occurrence Native Status
Biscayne National Park, Florida Keys Section Presumed Extirpated Not Native, Cultivated Only
Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge Present Not Native, Naturalized
Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammocks Botanical State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
National Key Deer Refuge Possibly Extirpated Not Native, Naturalized




Parkinsonia aculeata has been reported for the following habitat in THE FLORIDA KEYS :
Disturbed Upland


All Images:

Parkinsonia aculeata
Copyright by: Forest & Kim Starr

Parkinsonia aculeata
Copyright by: Forest & Kim Starr

Parkinsonia aculeata
Copyright by: Forest & Kim Starr

Parkinsonia aculeata
Copyright by: Forest & Kim Starr