4: 479 (1857) Olneya tesota is a perennial flowering tree of the family Fabaceae, legumes (peas, beans, etc.

The desert ironwood grows as a bush or tree, reaching heights of about 10 metres (33 feet) and average trunk diameters of about 60 centimetres (24 inches).

Exceptionally, in larger protected washes it can reach greater height and a more massive trunk.

Flowers are of 5 unequal petals, in colors of medium purple, magenta-red, or white to pale pink.

[2] The species is native to the Southwestern United States and extreme northwestern Mexico in the Baja California Peninsula and the Sonoran Desert.

The winter and permanent range of the bat extend into the northern countries of Central America.

Its density is greater than water and thus sinks; it does not float downstream in washes and must be moved by current motion.

As a result, mass processing of this wood is difficult, and most of its commercial usages are artisanal, such as durable wooden sculptures as well as knife handles.