By: Joanna Lozano
Introduction (video) Hello all! Today we are going to learn about the Desert Ironwood. The Desert Ironwood comes from the Pea family and can only be found in the Southwestern part of Arizona, Southern California and Northwestern part of Mexico. They bloom from April to June. To grow they need sunlight and water, but unlike other trees Desert Ironwoods only need a small amount of water to grow. Ironwoods grow very tall, they grow to from fifteen to twenty five feet tall. Well I hope you enjoyed this lesson! See you next time!  WHO AM I? I come from the pea family and am the tallest tree in the Sonoran desert. My wood is hard and dense and will sink if put in water. During the dry season, I will drop my leaves to conserve water, but if there is a season where I get a lot of water I become an Evergreen tree. WHERE DO I LIVE? I can only be found in the southwestern part of Arizona, southern California and the northwestern part of Mexico. I live in the sandy washes and valleys of the Sonoran Desert where water is available. An important fact about where I live is that it cannot be above a 2,500 foot elevation or I will not grow. WHAT DO I EAT? The sun makes me grow taller but too much of it can hurt me. I don't get thirsty very often but I still need some water to help me grow.  I am usually 15- 25 feet tall but I can reach a height of 30 feet. If I am young, the bark on my branches will be gray and smooth, and if I am old the bark will be wrinkled and creased. I have bluish gray- green leaves with widespread crowns which are covered with fine hair and a pair of thorns. My leaves are leathery, compound, and pinnate and are about 2 inches long. Each leaf has 6-9 leaflets which are about .75 inches long. HOW DO I REPRODUCE? I bloom from April to June producing clusters of pea like flowers. These flowers develop into brown seedpods, each holding 4 brown beans in it. These beans or seeds then mature to form another tree. FUN FACT ABOUT ME: In Spanish I am called “palo de fierro” which means Iron stick. I am one of the longest living trees in the Sonoran desert and can live up to 1,500 years! I also play an important role in the survival of over 500 plants and animals in the Sonoran desert by providing food and shelter. ACTIVITIES! Kindergarten Check this out! Find a picture of an Ironwood Tree and print it. Then tell your parents or classmates a story about the Ironwood. 1st & 2nd grade Try this! CLICK HERE print the word search and solve it. Then write a story using the words you found. 3rd Grade Check this out! CLICK HERE print the crossword and solve it. You can find more information about me below! Blue Planet Biomes website:http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/desert_ironwood.htm |
