Botanical Name: Eysenhardtia polystachya

Common Names: Kidney Wood

What parts of palo azul are used?

The bark is used to make tea by either soaking or boiling it. The resulting tea has a smooth consistency and an earthy taste.

How do you identify palo azul and where is it grown?

Palo azul is a large bush or small tree, never growing past 18 feet tall. Its leaves are deciduous, and in the spring it grows small white flowers. Palo Azul is found at a 4000 to 5000 ft between Arizona and New Mexico. Typically, the plant grows on hillsides and canyons of desert grasslands and oak woodlands. One of the most amazing qualities of this plant is that when the wood of the plant has been formed into a cup, or when the wood is added to water, it turns the water a deep, brilliant turquoise color. Not surprisingly, that water is traditionally considered holy.