Newest Acquisition

Pictured above is what a mature Cascalote (caesalpinia cacalaco) looks like. Pictured below is what my three-year-old Cascalote looks like now:

And here’s what it looked like when I first planted it last year:

One of the greatest joys of gardening is watching trees grow. I planted all of the trees in my yard as seedlings. I don’t have much space left in my yard for trees to spread out, so this Cascalote will likely be the last tree I can squeeze in.

I spent quite a bit of time deciding which tree I wanted to plant. My primary requirement was that it had to be desert tolerant since our water future in the desert is very insecure. I also wanted something that bloomed and provided food for nature. The Cascalote ultimately won because it loves living in the desert. It’s a long blooming tree and provides a wealth of nectar in winter right when nectar tends to be scarce. Also, it can be trimmed into a very pretty shape, and it smells absolutely divine.

I am curious to see how my tree will grow. It thrives in sunlight, but my yard is slowly being covered in shade. I willingly admit that I have a tree planting problem. I know that I planted too many. All my trees have learned to grow as a unit, and they all secured their place in the sun. This newcomer will have to assert itself to carve out its space. Here’s what it looked like a few months after I planted it:

Gosh, such an innocent little thing. Little does it know what a hard road lies ahead of it. Yet, I’m confident this little bugger will figure life out and become a wonderful addition to my ever-growing garden. Welcome home Cascalote. I’m so glad you’re here.

There’s still some time to pick up my newest travel memoir for FREE! There are only a few copies left. NOTE: if you claim a copy, you will need to leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads by March 7. Happy Reading!!