Retama

Year-round

Retama, also known as Jerusalem thorn or Mexican palo verde, is a fast growing, feathery-leaved small tree with long-blooming yellow flowers. It shrugs off Texas heat and drought once established, but a hard freeze will strip its leaves overnight and every branch carries sharp thorns.

• Plant it in full sun in well drained soil. Fort Worth's sandier Cross Timbers ground drains fine on its own, but in Dallas's heavier Blackland Prairie clay, plant on a slight mound or work grit into the hole so roots are not sitting in water after a rain.
• This species is native to South Texas and points south into Mexico, not specifically to the Fort Worth or Dallas area, though it is a long established, well adapted landscape tree throughout North Texas.
• Every twig and branch carries sharp thorns. Keep it well away from walkways, play areas, and pool decks, and wear thick gloves whenever you prune or pick up dropped branches.
• It does not appear on the ASPCA's toxic plant lists for dogs, cats, or horses. The thorns, not the leaves or seeds, are the real hazard to watch for around kids and pets.
• Once established, it needs very little supplemental water and actually does better in a dry stretch than in soggy soil. Deep, infrequent watering beats a daily sprinkler.

Fall

Fall is a slow wind down for Retama. The tree thins out gradually well before any hard freeze arrives.

• Leaflets drop gradually through October and November, leaving a lacy, spidery look to the bare branches. That thinning is normal seasonal behavior, not a sign of trouble.
• The green trunk and branches keep functioning even as the leaves thin out, so a sparse looking tree in late fall is still healthy.
• Cut back on watering as growth slows for the year, and skip fertilizer on an established tree.
• Hold off on any real pruning now. Wait for spring regrowth so you know exactly which wood is truly dead.

Winter

A hard freeze can strip a Retama bare in a single night, which catches a lot of homeowners off guard the first time. That is normal winter behavior, not a sign the tree is dying.

• After a hard freeze, the small leaflets and leaf stalks drop all at once, leaving bare green branches behind. The trunk and limbs stay green all winter and keep working even with no leaves.
• Do not prune right after a freeze. Wait for spring growth to show which wood is actually dead, then cut back only those sections.
• In an unusually hard or prolonged freeze the dieback can go further than just the leaves. Give the tree until late spring before deciding it needs to be cut back hard or replaced.

If a bare, freeze-stripped Retama at the curb draws questions from neighbors over winter, it is dormant and expected to leaf back out in spring, not a tree that needs to come out.

Spring

Spring is when Retama leafs out for the year and kicks off its long bloom run, and it is also the best window to see how the tree came through winter.

• New feathery leaves fill in through March and April, and the first round of bright yellow flower clusters usually opens in April.
• Wait for new growth to show before you judge winter damage. Any branch that stays bare once the rest of the tree has leafed out is the wood to prune away, live green stems are fine even without leaves yet.
• Spring is the best time to plant a new Retama, giving roots a full growing season to settle in before next winter's cold hits.
• Water a newly planted tree regularly through its first spring and summer, then taper off as it establishes.

Summer

Summer is Retama's showcase season. It keeps blooming through the hottest, driest stretch of the year with almost no help from you.

• Yellow flower clusters keep opening from late spring through summer into fall, drawing bees and other pollinators to the yard.
• This tree is built for roughly a foot of rain a year once established, so skip extra watering unless you are in a genuinely long dry spell.
• Seed pods start forming in summer and keep dropping through fall. Keep the tree back from pools, patios, and walkways so pods and thorny twig litter are not landing on hardscape all season.

Sweep fallen seed pods and thorny twigs off the walkway and driveway on a regular pass. It keeps the front yard looking tended without any actual pruning needed.

Year-round

Retama, also known as Jerusalem thorn or Mexican palo verde, is a fast growing, feathery-leaved small tree with long-blooming yellow flowers. It shrugs off Texas heat and drought once established, but a hard freeze will strip its leaves overnight and every branch carries sharp thorns.

• Plant it in full sun in well drained soil. Fort Worth's sandier Cross Timbers ground drains fine on its own, but in Dallas's heavier Blackland Prairie clay, plant on a slight mound or work grit into the hole so roots are not sitting in water after a rain.
• This species is native to South Texas and points south into Mexico, not specifically to the Fort Worth or Dallas area, though it is a long established, well adapted landscape tree throughout North Texas.
• Every twig and branch carries sharp thorns. Keep it well away from walkways, play areas, and pool decks, and wear thick gloves whenever you prune or pick up dropped branches.
• It does not appear on the ASPCA's toxic plant lists for dogs, cats, or horses. The thorns, not the leaves or seeds, are the real hazard to watch for around kids and pets.
• Once established, it needs very little supplemental water and actually does better in a dry stretch than in soggy soil. Deep, infrequent watering beats a daily sprinkler.

Fall

Fall is a slow wind down for Retama. The tree thins out gradually well before any hard freeze arrives.

• Leaflets drop gradually through October and November, leaving a lacy, spidery look to the bare branches. That thinning is normal seasonal behavior, not a sign of trouble.
• The green trunk and branches keep functioning even as the leaves thin out, so a sparse looking tree in late fall is still healthy.
• Cut back on watering as growth slows for the year, and skip fertilizer on an established tree.
• Hold off on any real pruning now. Wait for spring regrowth so you know exactly which wood is truly dead.

Winter

A hard freeze can strip a Retama bare in a single night, which catches a lot of homeowners off guard the first time. That is normal winter behavior, not a sign the tree is dying.

• After a hard freeze, the small leaflets and leaf stalks drop all at once, leaving bare green branches behind. The trunk and limbs stay green all winter and keep working even with no leaves.
• Do not prune right after a freeze. Wait for spring growth to show which wood is actually dead, then cut back only those sections.
• In an unusually hard or prolonged freeze the dieback can go further than just the leaves. Give the tree until late spring before deciding it needs to be cut back hard or replaced.

If a bare, freeze-stripped Retama at the curb draws questions from neighbors over winter, it is dormant and expected to leaf back out in spring, not a tree that needs to come out.

Spring

Spring is when Retama leafs out for the year and kicks off its long bloom run, and it is also the best window to see how the tree came through winter.

• New feathery leaves fill in through March and April, and the first round of bright yellow flower clusters usually opens in April.
• Wait for new growth to show before you judge winter damage. Any branch that stays bare once the rest of the tree has leafed out is the wood to prune away, live green stems are fine even without leaves yet.
• Spring is the best time to plant a new Retama, giving roots a full growing season to settle in before next winter's cold hits.
• Water a newly planted tree regularly through its first spring and summer, then taper off as it establishes.

Summer

Summer is Retama's showcase season. It keeps blooming through the hottest, driest stretch of the year with almost no help from you.

• Yellow flower clusters keep opening from late spring through summer into fall, drawing bees and other pollinators to the yard.
• This tree is built for roughly a foot of rain a year once established, so skip extra watering unless you are in a genuinely long dry spell.
• Seed pods start forming in summer and keep dropping through fall. Keep the tree back from pools, patios, and walkways so pods and thorny twig litter are not landing on hardscape all season.

Sweep fallen seed pods and thorny twigs off the walkway and driveway on a regular pass. It keeps the front yard looking tended without any actual pruning needed.