The Desert Ironwood is my favorite desert tree. Ours is finally blooming after several years and here ’tis!

Desert Ironwood Tree - Olneya tesota

Desert Ironwood Tree - Olneya tesota

Lots of thorns, which makes it the perfect home for birds. They can tolerate the pointy stuff, but the neighborhood kitties; not so much. The flowers are about 1/2 inch wide and are followed by pea-pods. The wood is incredibly dense and can be polished to a shine like stone. They can live to be 500 years old!