Desert ironwood
Olneya tesota
Last reviewed: October 2026
Desert ironwood (Olneya tesota) is a perennial tree native to AZ, CA. It blooms in April, May, and June. The flowers draw bees.
Toxicity unknown
Desert ironwood (Olneya tesota) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.
Light
full sun
Water
low
Size
180"–300" H × 180"–300" W
Bloom
Apr, May, Jun
Native to
AZ, CA
Pollinators
bees
Before you buy
Your city may pay you to plant this
Cities and water utilities offer rebates for replacing lawn with native and water-wise plants. We track 460 programs across 44 states, each with a link to the provider and the date we last checked it.
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Browse plants for this ecoregion
A slow-growing desert tree with fine gray-green compound leaves and dense, hard wood, producing lavender-pink pea-shaped flowers in late spring. Its rounded canopy provides some of the deepest shade available in a desert planting.
Growing Desert ironwood
Grow Desert ironwood in full sun and low water. Mature plants reach 180 to 300 inches tall and spread 180 to 300 inches wide.
Wildlife value
The spring flowers are heavily visited by native desert bees, and the dense canopy serves as a nurse tree that shelters seedlings of other desert species.
Common questions
- How much sun does Desert ironwood need?
- Desert ironwood grows best in full sun conditions.
- When does Desert ironwood bloom?
- Desert ironwood blooms in April, May, and June.
- Where is Desert ironwood native?
- Desert ironwood (Olneya tesota) is native to AZ, CA, per vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists.
- What pollinators does Desert ironwood attract?
- Desert ironwood draws bees.
Native range data from vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists. Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
If something looks wrong
Common plant problems, and what to check first
These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.
- It is dying right after planting
- Leaves turning yellow
- Wilting even though I watered it
- Brown crispy leaf tips
- Bugs on the plant
Ready to grow Desert ironwood? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.