Palo verde (Pakinsonia florida) can grow between 30 to 40 feet and withstand prolonged droughts, earning their spot as one of the top ornamental plants in nurseries and gardens.
But just like all good things, there are times when it’s time to say goodbye to palo verde trees. And as always, we’re here to tell you how.
1. Cutting down the tree and treating the stump with herbicides
| Difficulty | Difficult ●●●●○ |
| Duration | 2 to 4 hours for cutting down the tree1 to 2 months for rotting the stump with herbicides |
| Things You Need | • Protective gear • Chainsaw • Drill • Herbicide • Tarpaulin |
Cutting down the tree and treating the stump with herbicides is the most effective method to kill a large palo verde tree.
Since palo verde trees can grow to a staggering 40 feet tall, cutting them down is best before letting herbicides kill the rest of the tree.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to doing this.
| How To Do Cutting the Tree Down 1. Cut the tree branches close to the trunk. 2. About 1 foot from the base of the tree, make a downward cut at a 45-degree angle (undercut) that would go through ⅓ of the thickness of its trunk. 3. Go to the tree’s opposite side and mark an area 2 inches below the undercut. 4. Make a straight cut that would go through ⅓ of the trunk’s thickness. 5. The undercut and straight cut will lead to removing a triangle portion of the tree, causing it to fall. 6. Move at a distance of at least one and ½ times the tree’s height to keep yourself safe as it falls to the ground. Treating the Stump with Herbicides 1. Drill 8 to 10-inch-deep holes around the palo verde stump. Make sure that the holes are between 2 to 3 inches apart. 2. Pour the herbicide into the holes and allow the stump to absorb them completely. 3. Cover the palo verde stump with tarpaulin. 4. Within 1 to 2 months, expect the palo verde stump to turn into a spongy substance. 5. Once the stump is completely rotted, you can remove the debris and use it as a compost. |
2. Girdling
| Difficulty | Average ●●●○○ |
| Duration | 2 to 3 hours |
| Things You Need | • Hatchet • Chainsaw • Backpack sprayer • Herbicide |
Girdling, also called ring barking, involves removing a strip of the bark and exposing its vascular cambium tissues to herbicides. This way, nutrients fail to reach the branches and leaves on the upper part of the tree.
Here’s how to apply the girdling method to your palo verde tree.
| How To Do 1. Using a chainsaw, cut a strip, at least 4 to 6 inches wide, around the trunk of the palo verde tree. 2. Spray herbicide on the exposed bark of the tree. |
3. Foliar spraying
| Difficulty | Easy ●○○○○ |
| Duration | 1 to 2 hours |
| Things You Need | • Protective gear • Backpack sprayer • Herbicide • Dye |
The foliar spray method is another effective way to kill small palo verde trees. This is best applied during spring when the palo verde has the most leaves.
By spraying herbicide on the leaves of the palo verde, the chemicals pass directly into the plant’s vascular system, immediately stopping nutrient flow in the tree.
Here’s how to do the foliar spray method.
| How To Do 1. Add dye to the herbicide to know what part of the palo verde has been treated. 2. Pour herbicide into the backpack sprayer and wear your protective gear. 3. Spray the solution on the leaves of the palo verde tree. |
4. Basal bark treatment
| Difficulty | Easy ●○○○○ |
| Duration | • 30 minutes to 1 hour per day • Apply every other day for one week |
| Things You Need | • Backpack sprayer • Herbicide • Oil carrier • Metal container |
Basal bark treatment involves spraying herbicide on the bottom 20 inches of the palo verde tree.
By spraying at the tree’s base, the bark near its roots will absorb the chemical, which severely damages the roots, disrupts the nutrient cycle and kills the tree.
This method is recommended for small palo verde trees less than 7 inches in diameter. Here’s how to do it.
| How To Do 1. In a metal container, mix 1-part herbicide and 4-part oil carrier. 2. Pour the herbicide mixture into the backpack sprayer. 3. Spray the solution at the bottom 20 inches of the trunk. Let it dry. 4. Repeat spraying of the herbicide solution every other day for a week. |
5. Cut surface treatment
| Difficulty | Average ●●●○○ |
| Duration | 1 to 2 hours |
| Things You Need | • Hatchet or axe • Herbicide |
The cut surface treatment involves making deep gashes and exposing the vascular tissues on the trunk of the tree to herbicides.
This is an effective way for the herbicide to invade the tree’s root system and prevent nutrient flow and other regrowth of the palo verde tree.
Below are steps on how to do the cut surface treatment.
| How To Do 1. Use a hatchet or axe to make deep gashes or hashtag (#) patterns in every 2 to 3 inches of the tree’s trunk. Cut as deep as 3 inches. 2. Spray herbicide on the cuts until the tree absorbs all chemicals. |
6. Chemical Injection Method
| Difficulty | Easy ●○○○○ |
| Duration | 30 minutes to 1 hour |
| Things You Need | • ½ inch drill • Herbicide |
The chemical injection method directly applies the herbicide to the tree’s xylem tissue, making it faster for the chemical to spread throughout the tree.
Once the herbicide spreads, the whole palo verde tree cannot create its own food via photosynthesis nor absorb any other nutrient for survival.
Below are steps on how to do the chemical injection method.
| How To Do • From 2 to 3 feet above the soil, drill 2 to 3 inches deep holes at a downward angle around the tree’s circumference. • Fill the holes with herbicide and wait for the tree to absorb all the chemicals. • After absorbing the first batch, inject more herbicide into the hole to ensure the tree’s death. |
What is the best way to kill a palo verde tree based on size?
The basal bark treatment is the best way to kill a small palo verde tree, while cutting down and treating the stump with herbicides will work for large palo verdes.
| Size | Effective Removal Method |
| Small (6 to 7 inches in diameter) | • Basal Bark Treatment • As chemicals are sprayed over the tree’s bottom part, the roots cannot send nutrients to its upper half, causing the tree to die slowly. |
| Large (8 inches and above in diameter) | • Cutting Down the Tree and Treating the Stump with Herbicides • By cutting the tree to a short height, dealing with the tree stump and killing it using herbicides is easier. |
FAQs
Cutting down a palo verde tree is not enough to kill it. After cutting it down, you should treat the remaining tree stump with herbicide to ensure that no further growth will survive the tree.
The best way to prevent palo verde trees from regrowing is by digging out all of their roots and disposing of them. You can use a stump grinder or spray herbicides on the roots to prevent future growth.
You can kill a palo verde tree without cutting it down using the girdling, foliar spray, basal bark or cut surface method. They all involve spreading the herbicide through the leaves and bark of the tree to kill its roots and disrupt its nutrient flow.
The best time to kill palo verde trees is before the flowering season. The goal is to stop flowers from blooming and releasing their seeds over the area.
Palo verde wood is non-toxic to people and animals, making it suitable for home gardens.
Palo verde trees can grow between 30 and 40 feet and spread between 20 and 25 feet wide.
