Research and Conservation in Southern Sonora, Mexico

Cordia sonorae (palo de asta)

A common tree in thornscrub and TDF, C. sonorae grows straight and fast, its lean gray trunks reaching up to thirty feet (10 m) tall or more. This growth habit accounts for the common Spanish name that means “flagpole.” Conspicuous white flowers bloom at the outer lengths of its branches in late winter and early spring. They soon stain brown.

The tree is common in hilly thornscrub and in tropical deciduous forest. It grows well on disturbed soils.

Mayo people use its sturdy, splinter-free wood for tools and beams.