If you transfer into a brand new property, one of many first issues to contemplate is the place to plant timber. A tree provides shade, magnificence, and construction to a yard. It cools the area, builds a cover, creates a greater microclimate, and provides birds and pollinators a spot to stay. There are many causes to plant a tree, however choosing the proper one is an enormous determination.
As you determine which tree to plant, pay shut consideration to its mature measurement. Planting a tree that ultimately outgrows its area is among the commonest landscaping errors. The suitable tree in the appropriate place, although, can change into an actual asset to your yard for years to return.
Key Takeaways: Finest Timber for the Low Desert
Selecting the best tree is essential for a low desert yard; beneficial timber are low-water-use and adapt properly to abandon circumstances.
This information types timber by mature measurement: small (underneath 15 ft), medium (15-25 ft), and enormous (25 ft and up) for straightforward choice.
Take into account components akin to mature measurement, water use, and thorns when selecting; some timber will also be grown as massive shrubs.
In style choices for small yards embrace Texas Mountain Laurel and Kidneywood, whereas bigger areas go well with Blue Palo Verde and Dwell Oak.
Fruit timber like citrus can improve your panorama by offering each shade and harvestable fruit.
Earlier than You Select
I organized this record by mature measurement: small timber for patios and tight areas, medium timber for the common yard, and enormous timber for substantial shade. That makes it simpler to search out one that matches your area.
Many of the timber on this record are low-water-use and desert-adapted, and several other are true Arizona natives. I cowl these in additional depth in my native crops for Arizona information.
Mature top and width, water use, thorns, and litter are based mostly on AMWUA’s scores. Sizes are listed as top by width in ft.
Give timber loads of room to succeed in their mature measurement. Timber planted too near a fence or property line can ultimately harm the fence and trigger issues with neighbors.
Watch out about planting timber close to raised beds or different backyard areas too. Tree roots naturally search out the water and nutrient-rich soil in backyard beds, so count on to handle them ultimately. Study extra in my information to maintaining tree roots out of raised beds.
If a full-size tree is greater than your yard wants, think about a big shrub as a substitute. A couple of timber on this record, like feather bush and kidneywood, can truly be grown both means. For extra choices constructed for that in-between area, see my greatest desert shrubs to plant. Groundcovers are additionally an effective way to chill your yard. See the complete garden options groundcover information.
Small Timber, Below 15 Toes
Good for patios, courtyards, and tight aspect yards the place an enormous cover could be an excessive amount of.
Texas Mountain Laurel
Dermatophyllum secundiflorum (Southwest native, not Arizona native)
Dimension: 10×8 ft. Development: sluggish. Litter: very low, no thorns.
Coated in additional depth in my full information to rising Texas mountain laurel. Purple, grape-scented flowers, sluggish progress, and really low litter make it a favourite close to patios and swimming pools. It’s native to Texas, New Mexico, and northeastern Mexico, not Arizona.
Mexican Buckeye
Ungnadia speciosa (Southwest native, not Arizona native)
Dimension: 10×10 ft. Development: sluggish. Hardy to: 5°F. Litter: seasonal, no thorns.
Rose-pink, aromatic flowers in spring on a big shrub or small patio tree. Coarse texture. A good selection the place you need one thing a bit of totally different from the standard desert palette. Native to Texas, New Mexico, and northern Mexico.
Kidneywood
Eysenhardtia orthocarpa (Arizona native, southeastern AZ)
Dimension: 15×10 ft. Development: reasonable. Hardy to: 15°F. Litter: low, no thorns.
Aromatic white flower spikes in summer season, low litter, an underused native that works properly as a big shrub or small tree.
Leatherleaf Acacia
Acacia craspedocarpa (Not native, Australian)
Dimension: 10×8 ft. Development: sluggish to reasonable. Hardy to: 20°F. Litter: low, no thorns.
An Australian native, not an Arizona one, however match for small areas or massive containers. Yellow puffball flowers spring to summer season on rounded, gray-green foliage.
Citrus
Citrus species (Not native, launched meals crop)
Dimension varies by kind and rootstock, roughly 10 to twenty ft.
Don’t overlook citrus as a panorama tree. Most citrus is inexperienced year-round, has a naturally engaging rounded type, smells unbelievable when it blooms, and provides you fruit as a substitute of simply shade. In order for you a small to medium tree and also you’re prepared to water a bit of extra, citrus is perhaps a good selection.
See my greatest fruit timber for the Arizona low desert for extra choices past citrus and the way to decide on. And be taught extra about rising citrus if you’re able to plant this tree.
Anacacho Orchid Tree
Bauhinia lunarioides (Not Arizona native, Chihuahuan Desert)
Dimension: 12×8 ft. Development: sluggish to reasonable. Hardy to: 15°F. Litter: low, no thorns.
It’s stunning in full bloom; white or pink clusters spring into summer season, with butterfly-shaped leaves that entice bees and butterflies. small patio tree. Native to the Chihuahuan Desert, not Arizona particularly.
Whitethorn Acacia
Vachellia constricta (Arizona native)
Dimension: 10×15 ft. Development: sluggish. Hardy to: 5°F. Litter: reasonable. Medium thorns.
Thorns, so preserve it away from paths, however a real Arizona native with yellow puffball blooms.
Mediterranean Fan Palm
Chamaerops humilis (Not native, Mediterranean/African)
Dimension: 10×10 ft. Development: sluggish. Hardy to: 10°F. Litter: low. Thorns on leaves.
A multi-trunked palm for small areas and containers, native to the Mediterranean and Africa. Offers an oasis really feel with out the scale of a full palm.
Foothills Palo Verde
Parkinsonia microphylla (Arizona native)
Dimension: 15×15 ft. Development: sluggish to reasonable. Hardy to: 15°F. Litter: seasonal. Sharp department suggestions.
Smaller and slower than blue palo verde, with lime inexperienced bark and sulfur yellow spring flowers. A real Arizona native and match the place blue palo verde could be too large.
Medium Timber, 15 to 25 Toes
The vary that matches most common yards with out overwhelming them.
Desert Willow
Chilopsis linearis (Arizona native)
Dimension: 25×20 ft. Development: quick. Hardy to: 0°F. Litter: seasonal, no thorns.
Trumpet-shaped flowers spring by fall, liked by hummingbirds and carpenter bees. An Arizona native with an irregular, casual progress behavior.
Candy Acacia
Vachellia farnesiana (Southwest native, current in southern Arizona)
Dimension: 20×20 ft. Development: reasonable. Hardy to: 10°F. Litter: reasonable. Small thorns, allergenic.
Candy-scented golden puffball flowers late winter into spring, a vase-shaped tree naturalized all through the Southwest.
Cascalote
Tara cacalaco (Not Arizona native, central/southern Mexico)
Dimension: 20×20 ft. Development: sluggish to reasonable. Hardy to: 20°F. Litter: seasonal. Medium thorns.
Gorgeous, aromatic yellow winter flower spikes adopted by colourful seed pods. Vase-shaped with a medium texture. Native to central and southern Mexico.
Ironwood
Olneya tesota (Arizona native)
Dimension: 25×25 ft. Development: sluggish. Hardy to: 20°F. Litter: seasonal. Medium thorns.
A keystone Sonoran Desert species, slow-growing and long-lived, with dusty lavender blooms in late spring.
Mexican Chook of Paradise
Erythrostemon mexicanus (Not Arizona native, Mexico)
Dimension: 15×10 ft. Development: reasonable to quick. Hardy to: 15°F. Litter: excessive, no thorns.
Yellow flower spikes bloom intermittently almost all yr, attracting hummingbirds. Upright, open type. Anticipate extra litter than most timber on this record.
Feather Bush
Lysiloma watsonii (Arizona native)
Dimension: 15×15 ft. Development: reasonable. Hardy to: 25°F. Litter: excessive, no thorns.
A real Arizona and Sonora native with a lush, ferny look in contrast to anything on this record. Will be grown as a shrub or small tree. Late spring to early summer season bloom.
Palo Blanco
Mariosousa willardiana (Not Arizona native, Sonora, Mexico)
Dimension: 20×10 ft. Development: sluggish to reasonable. Hardy to: 25°F. Litter: reasonable, no thorns.
Placing white, peeling bark makes this as a lot an accent tree as a shade tree. Upright and ethereal with advantageous texture. Native to Sonora, Mexico.
Velvet Mesquite
Prosopis velutina (Arizona native)
Dimension: 25×25 ft. Development: reasonable to quick. Hardy to: 0°F. Litter: seasonal. Medium thorns, allergenic.
A basic low desert shade tree, true Arizona native, with a large crown and advantageous texture.
Texas Ebony
Ebenopsis ebano (Not Arizona native, Texas/Mexico)
Dimension: 20×15 ft. Development: sluggish. Hardy to: 20°F. Litter: reasonable. Medium thorns.
Wealthy, darkish inexperienced foliage and an irregular type. AMWUA notes the bark can sunburn if the tree is overpruned, so let it preserve its pure form reasonably than shearing it onerous. Native to southern Texas and Mexico. Study extra about the way to prune desert shrubs to maintain them wholesome.
Canyon Hackberry
Celtis reticulata (Arizona native)
Dimension: 25×25 ft. Development: reasonable. Hardy to: 0°F. Litter: seasonal, no thorns.
A sprawling native with a particular trunk, offering meals and shelter for birds, butterflies, and mammals. Allergenic. Native to the western US and Mexico, together with Arizona.
Mexican Blue Palm
Brahea armata (Not Arizona native, Baja California/Sonora)
Dimension: 25×12 ft. Development: very sluggish. Hardy to: 15°F. Litter: low. Medium thorns.
A daring, silvery blue fan palm that provides a real oasis really feel. Nicely suited to containers whereas younger. Native to Baja California and Sonora, Mexico.
Chaste Tree
Vitex agnus-castus (Not native, southern Europe)
Dimension: 20×20 ft. Development: reasonable. Hardy to: 15°F. Litter: reasonable, no thorns.
I’ve 4 of those, two framing both aspect of my entrance yard and two within the again. Lavender, pink, or white flower spikes summer season by fall herald bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. I like the multi-trunk type of these crops. The seeds may be slippery underfoot on sidewalks, so take into consideration the place you place one or plan on maintaining litter picked up. Reasonable litter, however for the scale and the best way they body an area, I feel they’re price it.
Blackbrush Acacia
Vachellia rigidula (Not Arizona native, Texas/Mexico)
Dimension: 15×15 ft. Development: sluggish. Hardy to: 20°F. Litter: low. Medium thorns.
Engaging gentle grey bark and light-weight yellow spring flower spikes. Efficient as a barrier planting given the thorns. Attracts bees and butterflies. Native to Texas and northeastern Mexico.
Fruitless Olive
Olea europaea (Not native, Mediterranean, horticultural choice)
Dimension: 25×25 ft. Development: sluggish to reasonable. Hardy to: 15°F. Litter: low, no thorns.
A horticultural choice bred to not fruit or produce pollen. Use fruitless picks particularly, since some Arizona cities and counties limit fruiting and pollen-producing olive timber as a result of allergy considerations. Rounded crown, basic Mediterranean look.
Massive Timber, 25 Toes and Up
Shade timber. Give them the room their mature measurement calls for earlier than you plant. When you’re searching for different methods to create shade in your backyard with out committing to planting a tree, try these concepts.
Blue Palo Verde
Parkinsonia florida (Arizona native)
Dimension: 30×30 ft. Development: quick. Hardy to: 15°F. Litter: seasonal. Small thorns, allergenic.
Arizona’s state tree, a cloud of vivid yellow spring blooms, and a real native. Wants the complete 30 ft of room.
Willow Acacia
Acacia salicina (Not native, Australian)
Dimension: 30×15 ft. Development: quick. Hardy to: 20°F. Litter: reasonable, no thorns.
A slim, upright Australian native that works as a display screen for tight areas regardless of its top. Aromatic cream flowers in spring. Can reseed simply, so look ahead to volunteers.
Shoestring Acacia
Acacia stenophylla (Not native, Australian)
Dimension: 30×20 ft. Development: quick. Hardy to: 18°F. Litter: reasonable, no thorns.
Advantageous, weeping foliage on an upright, ethereal Australian native. Tall screening tree. Keep away from overwatering; it handles dry circumstances higher than moist ones.
Floss Silk Tree
Ceiba speciosa (Not native, Brazil/Argentina)
Dimension: 30×25 ft. Development: reasonable. Hardy to: 26°F. Litter: seasonal. Thorns on trunk.
A spectacular flowering tree, pink to purple showy blooms in fall on a particular spiny trunk. Native to Brazil and Argentina.
Chinese language Pistache
Pistacia chinensis (Not native, China/Philippines)
Dimension: 40×35 ft. Development: reasonable. Hardy to: 10°F. Litter: seasonal, no thorns.
My neighborhood has planted a whole lot of these, and folks love them for the autumn coloration, one of many few dependable choices for actual purple and orange foliage in a low desert yard. Dense shade, rounded crown. Feminine timber produce purple fruit birds get pleasure from. Allergenic from male tree pollen. Search for ‘Purple Push’ and different picks bred for stronger coloration.
Dwell Oak
Quercus virginiana (Not Arizona native, southeastern US)
Dimension: 40×50 ft. Development: reasonable. Hardy to: 0°F. Litter: seasonal, no thorns.
A real shade tree with a large crown, one of many few on this record that accepts garden circumstances. Allergenic. Take into account the mature measurement critically; 50 ft huge is a whole lot of yard.
Ghost Gum
Corymbia papuana (Not native, Australia/New Guinea)
Dimension: 40×25 ft. Development: reasonable. Hardy to: 22°F. Litter: reasonable, no thorns.
Easy, vivid white bark makes this an attention-grabbing accent as a lot as a shade tree. Native to Australia and New Guinea. Upright, open type.
Texas Honey Mesquite
Prosopis glandulosa var. glandulosa (Southwest native, not AZ’s native mesquite)
Dimension: 30×30 ft. Development: quick. Hardy to: 0°F. Litter: seasonal. Massive thorns, allergenic.
A large-crowned mesquite with actual thorns, so plant it with clearance from paths. Search for thornless picks in order for you the tree with out that downside. Attracts native bees and pollinators. Native to Texas, New Mexico, and northern Mexico. Arizona’s personal native mesquite is velvet mesquite, lined within the medium timber part.
Palo Brea
Parkinsonia praecox (Not Arizona native, Baja California/Sonora)
Dimension: 25×30 ft. Development: quick. Hardy to: 25°F. Litter: seasonal. Small thorns.
An umbrella-like type with distinctive lime-green bark, native to Baja California and Sonora into South America. Attracts bees, birds, and wildlife.
Evergreen Elm
Ulmus parvifolia (Not native, China)
Dimension: 35×35 ft. Development: quick. Hardy to: 20°F. Litter: seasonal, no thorns.
That is the focus of our entrance yard, a big, umbrella-shaped tree we love. The roots are reasonably aggressive, and we now have them all through our yard. Crops on the tree aspect of our walkway battle to develop with all the basis competitors close by.
AMWUA recommends maintaining evergreen elm a minimum of 15 to twenty ft from foundations, underground utilities, and sewer strains, and 10 to fifteen ft from a pool. In low desert soil particularly, evergreen elms are additionally extra vulnerable to Texas root rot, a soil-borne illness that may take down an in any other case healthy-looking tree. And regardless of its popularity as a tricky desert tree, it isn’t truly drought-tolerant. It needs common water by the rising season.
One in style tree you gained’t discover on this record: queen palm. It’s planted all around the low desert, however it struggles right here greater than most individuals count on: chilly harm, iron deficiency, and a shorter life than the look guarantees. I get into the specifics of queen palms within the Arizona low desert if you happen to’re contemplating one.
When you’ve picked a tree and gotten it within the floor, don’t skip the final step. I write about why labeling timber is the final step in planting, and it makes an actual distinction years down the highway if you’re attempting to recollect what you planted and the place.
Low Desert Timber Incessantly Requested Questions
Timber underneath 15 ft at maturity, like Texas mountain laurel, kidneywood, or foothills palo verde, match small yards and courtyards with out ultimately overwhelming the area. Verify mature measurement earlier than planting, not simply the scale the tree is on the nursery.
Dwell oak, Chinese language pistache, and velvet mesquite are dependable massive shade timber for the low desert. Blue palo verde and desert willow present filtered reasonably than dense shade. Match the tree to how a lot room you even have.
Sure. Citrus timber like grapefruit and lemon work properly as panorama timber within the low desert. They’re evergreen, have a gorgeous type, and supply fruit along with the shade and construction a purely decorative tree would give.
It grows quick and offers good shade, however it isn’t drought-tolerant, and it’s extra vulnerable to Texas root rot in desert soil than in different climates. Roots are reasonably aggressive, so preserve it properly away from foundations, swimming pools, and utility strains if you happen to plant one.
Blue palo verde, foothills palo verde, velvet mesquite, ironwood, desert willow, kidneywood, and whitethorn acacia are all true Arizona natives suited to a variety of yard sizes. See my native crops information for extra on every.
