The pleasant-tasting sap is consumed by bees and hummingbirds. The silky-flycatcher or phainopepla pose a problem, for when they consume mistletoe berries and excrete them in the cracks of Olneya tesota, the mistletoe will parasitize its host. An indicator species Olneya tesota is an indicator species of the Sonoran Desert region. The Sonoran Desert has one other species with the identical north–south, and east–west range. The seasonally migrating lesser long-nosed bat follows the bloom season of various species from south to north and extends into the same regions of the Sonoran Desert as Olneya. The bat ranges from southern Baja California del Sur and north into the Southwestern US. In the north, both species define the Colorado Desert sub-region of the Sonoran Desert surrounding the northern end of the Gulf of California; further south in the Baja Peninsula the sub-division is defined as the Vizcaino Desert. The winter and permanent range of the bat extend into the northern countries of Central America. Uses The seeds can be eaten by first being roasted. Olneya ironwood is very hard and heavy. Its density is greater than water and thus sinks; it does not float downstream in washes and must be moved by current motion. Due to its considerable hardness, processing desert ironwood is difficult. Final treatment of the wood with solutions can also be difficult because of its high density. 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. Culture Ironwood Forest National Monument in south-central Arizona is named for O. tesota. See also Mexican ironwood carvings References External links Calflora Database: Olneya tesota (desert ironwood, ironwood) USDA Plants Profile of Olneya tesota (desert ironwood) UC Photos gallery – Olneya tesota Lesser Long-nosed Bat Ranges – equal to Olneya tesota: Journey of the Nectar Bats Learner.org: Map of Lesser Long-nosed Bat range Learner.org: "Signs of Spring" – article. Robinieae Monotypic Fabaceae genera Trees of the Southwestern United States Trees of Northwestern Mexico Flora of the California desert regions Flora of the Sonoran Deserts Natural history of the Colorado Desert