Parkinsonia texana

{{Short description|Species of legume}}

{{Speciesbox

|image =

|image_caption = Flowers, leaves and pods

|genus = Parkinsonia (plant)

|species = texana

|authority = S. Watson (A. Gray){{GRIN |url = https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=416532| accessdate = 2018-03-06}}

|range_map =

|range_map_caption =

|synonyms =

• Cercidium texanum

}}

Parkinsonia texana is a species of perennial flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, native to Texas and the Mexican states of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, San Luis Potosi, and Tamaulipas. Common names include Texas palo verde, Border palo verde, and Retama china.{{cite web|title=Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin|url=https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PATE10|website=www.wildflower.org|accessdate=6 March 2018}}{{cite web|title=Texas Native Plants Database|url=https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/natives/CERCIDIUMTEXANUM.HTM|website=aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu|accessdate=6 March 2018}}

Parkinsonia texana grows as a shrub or small tree up to {{convert|7.6|m|abbr=on}} in height and {{convert|6|m|abbr=on}} in diameter. It is heat and drought tolerant and prefers alkaline soils. Its thin bark is green in color and its flowers, which are typically yellow but sometimes red, bloom from April to June.