How Do You Care for a Desert Museum Palo Verde Tree?

To care for a Desert Museum palo verde tree, plant the cutting in a sunny area with well-drained soil, water the tree periodically, and prune the tree to a beautiful shape in the summer. Taking care of this kind of tree requires a water source, a shovel and pruning shears.

  1. Plant the cutting

    Locate an area of full sunlight with well-drained soil. The palo verde tree offers beautiful filtered shade from the sun, so choose an area where shade would be appreciated. Dig a hole only as deep as the root ball of the cutting and three times as wide as the root ball.

  2. Water the tree

    Allow the tree to get plenty of water periodically; it especially needs water when it is young to establish a strong root system. The Desert Museum palo verde tree is a drought-tolerant tree, so be careful not to over-water. Over-watering can result in weak branches. Under-watering causes the tree to lose its flowers.

  3. Prune the tree in the summer

    Keep the classic shape of the palo verde by cutting it back in the summer. This tree should maintain the shape of a vase, narrow at the base and wide at the top. The yellow flowers appear from the spring into the summer, so wait until after the tree is finished flowering to prune.