Upper lateral branches often arch downwards nearly reaching the ground level. Wash banks throughout the Sonoran Desert below 500 m elevation. This tree is a good indicator of frost severity and was used as a guide to an area's suitability for citrus cultivation. Sharp and slightly curved spines occur in pairs at each node.
Leaves are once pinately compound and evergreen.
Well into the severe droughts Ironwood presents an unseemly verdance. In May a profusion of lilac-purple flowers makes this one of the most beautiful desert plants. Typical pea-type flower. Bean pods are covered with a short, slightly sticky pubescence and turn burgundy-brown as they ripen. Edible seeds are flavored like peanuts.