(Credit: PimaCounty.gov), Desert ironwood is also known as "palo fierro" in Spanish. Over 189 Ironwood tree pictures to choose from, with no signup needed. Many different trees may share a common name, for example, "ironwood" may refer to several different, unrelated species. The bark of mature Ostrya trees tends to split into narrow vertical strips and becomes somewhat flaky and the appearance is very distinctive. In the old-growth trees, trunks have been found to reach a diameter of 24 inches (61 centimeters). Here is a native ironwood growing in the desert. I like the many trunks and branches with raised canopy. Infrataxa are : Carpinus caroliniana ssp. None of the ironwood trees on my property have bloomed yet, making me wonder at what age or size the tree begins reproducing. The gray-green bark and airy foliage make it less noticeable, but it is a plant worth seeing. This tree is classified in the witch hazel family, Hammamelidaceae. Leaves tend to be about 2 inches (5 cm) long with six to nine leaflets attached. More than 150 species of birds make use of the ironwood’s shaded sanctuary, too. Photos and information about Minnesota flora - Ironwood: small tree to 50 ft; separate male and female catkins, males over-winter; leaves oval-elliptic to 5 inches long, double-toothed edges ( Log Out /  The desert ironwood tree, Olneya tesota, can be found growing only in the Sonoran Desert of Mexico, California and Arizona. The seeds are essential for survival for many Sonoran Desert mammals, birds and even the early Native Americans, who once made the open desert their home. Mature trees show a distinctly mottled bark with patches of white, gray and green. This tree receives almost daily water and grew into a bush before its canopy was raised. No need to register, buy now! This large tree is probably 25 feet tall. Ironwood is a common name for many woods or plants that have a reputation for hardness, or specifically a wood density that is heavier than water (approximately 1000 kg/m 3, or 62 pounds per cubic foot), although usage of the name ironwood in English may or may not indicate a tree that yields such heavy wood. Leaves resemble elm but this tree is a member of the Birch family. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. ( Log Out /  (Credit: Linda & Dr. Dick Buscher), The leaves of the ironwood tree are compound pinnate. This tree has three trunks that diverge at 17.5 cm, probably as a result of coppicing (the periodic cutting back of a tree or shrub to ground level in order to stimulate growth. It’s canopy is green and full, and I have pruned it to have a singe trunk for the first three feet, then split into three main branches. Over the years, the older bark becomes black in color, creased and wrinkled in appearance. The currently accepted scientific name for eastern hophornbeam is Ostrya virginiana (Mill.) No matter how you look at it, this tree has confusing names. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. They grow in clusters at the end of the branches. Here, some night-blooming cereus cacti grow under the protective shade of a desert ironwood tree. Parrotia persica, commonly called Persian ironwood, is a small to medium sized, single trunk, deciduous tree eventually growing 20-40' tall (but typically 10' after 7-8 years) or a large, multi-stemmed shrub growing to 15' tall.Apetalous flowers with dense, red stamens surrounded by brownish bracts appear in late winter to early spring before the foliage. K. Koch . It … (Credit: Linda & Dr. Dick Buscher), By early July, 2-inch-long (5 cm) seedpods have formed. Ironwood flowers make for a spectacular display of color across the predominately brown and black landscape that is so common in the Sonoran Desert. The leaves suggest a beech but the bark squelches that idea and helps us narrow the search to an ironwood tree, Ostraya virginiana, which can be found throughout the state. There was a problem. Here are some photos to help you identify the next one you see. (Credit: NPS), The bark of young trees and young branches tend to be smooth and a whitish-grey in color. The tree's hard wood was used for fence posts, firewood and arrowheads. The leaves of Ostrya virginiana are simple, alternate and doubly-toothed.