TREES FOR THE MOJAVE DESERT

Chilean Mesquite
Prosopis chilensis

This multi trunked tree is deciduous during the winter & casts light fine shade spring through fall. This Mesquite will grow 15 to 30 feet high & wide. Chilean Mesquite is drought tolerant & is hardy to extreme heat & cold to 10 degrees.

When compared to other Mesquites………

The seed pods are “curly” & are somewhat thin. Chilean Mesquite is native to arid areas of Chile & Argentina.The seed pods were an extremely important part of the native Desert Peoples diet. This is a very valuable tree for desert landscapes. It van grow up to 30 feet high & wide.

When compared to other Mesquites………

Unique seeds are slightly curled when dry.

Foliage is short & ferny dark green in color.

Screwbean Mesquite
Prosopis pubescens

Screwbean Mesquite is native to the Mojave Desert. The seed pods were an extremely important part of the native Desert Peoples diet. This is a very tough tree & becomes picturesque when mature. This is shrubby short spreading multi trunked tree. It is deciduous during the winter & casts light fine shade spring through fall. This Mesquite will grow 15 feet high & wide. Very drought tolerant & is hardy to extreme heat & cold to 0 degrees. Thorny.

Foothill Palo Verde
Cercidium microphyllum

A Sonoran desert native, this is the smallest of the Palo Verdes forming a gnarled shrubby plant grows 15 feet high & wide. Palo Verdes are drought deciduous any time of the year. The tree becomes yellow with flowers during the spring. The foliage is small & temporary there are yellow spring flowers. Foothill Palo Verdes are very picturesque & tolerate desert conditions well. This tree is hardy to 15 degrees & it thrives in heat. Palo Verdes are important trees for wildlife. Thorny.

Mexican Palo Verde
Parkinsonia aculeata

This is one of the Palo Verdes from the Sonoran Desert. This tree grows 15 feet high & wide. Palo Verdes are drought deciduous any time of the year.The tree becomes yellow with flowers during the spring.

Parkinsonias vrs. Cercidiums

The foliage of Parkinsonia is larger & lusher than Cercidium.

Parkinsonias have bigger flowers than Cercidiums.

This is the most leafy & green of the Palo Verdes. It tolerates desert conditions well. This tree is hardy to 15 degrees & it thrives in heat. Palo Verdes are important trees for wildlife. Somewhat thorny.

Mimosa
Albizia julibrissin

This beautiful deciduous tree from Asia is popular throughout the world. The tree grows into a gracefully spreading umbrella up to 25 feet high & wide. The pink flowers are born spring & summer. Mimosa trees are hardy to cold (-10f) & heat. They require a deep irrigation about once a week to twice a month. This tree is wind tolerant but somewhat messy. Mimosas cast an enjoyable light filtered shade.

Raywood Ash
Fraxanus angustifolia

These deciduous trees are native to temperate areas of North America. They cast a dark deep shade & are hardy to heat & cold to zero degrees Fahrenheit. Ash trees of the Raywood type will grow 30 feet high & wide. The pinnate foliage is deciduous. The seeds are winged so that they can propeller away from mom. Raywood Ashes are grown for their beautiful deep green foliage that turns bright orange or deep scarlet in the autumn. This tree also makes a good windbreak. It is a superb landscape tree.

Olives

Olea europaea

Olive trees have been grown by humans for thousands of years. The plants were originally cultivated for their oily fruits but make handsome landscape specimens as well. Olives are native to Mediterranean Europe & North Africa. The leafs are thick & waxy. The fruits are prized for their high oil content. Olives are very hardy trees withstanding drought, heat, poor soil , & cold (down to 10 degrees F) well. Olives are evergreen shrubs or trees that can stay small or grow up to 20 feet high & wide. Olives come in fruiting & fruitless varieties.

California Sycamore
Platanus racemosa

This tree is a California native. It lives near areas of temporary water. This deciduous tree usually grows multi trunked with an open form up to 50 feet high & wider (can be kept smaller). The large leafs are Maple like. Flowers & seeds are held in spherical racemes. This is a versatile tree for landscapes as it can take little or frequent watering. Sycamores are wind resistant but they will need to be staked & trained in order to be a single trunked tree. Hardy to 0 degree F & tolerates heat.

Chiltalpa
Chitalpa x tashkentensis

This is a plant of manmade origin a cross between California Native Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) & eastern native Catalpa (Catapla speciosa). Deciduous small multi trunked tree up to 20 feet high & wide. Very well behaved.

One Parent: Chilopsis linearis Desert Willow

Smaller but more colorful flowers.

Very heat & drought tolerant.

The other parent: Catalpa speciosa (Western Catalpa)

Large showy flowers in spring.

Broad tree with dense canopy of large fuzzy leafs.

Chitalpas have the best attributes of their parents. They have showy pink flowers spring & summer. The trees are tough & drought tolerant. Chitalpas need full sun & are hardy to below 0 degrees F. Chitalpas are good garden trees.

Willow Leafed Peppermint Gum
Eucalyptus nicholii

A funny name but Gums are what Australians call these trees. Like many other Eucalypts they are native to Australia. This evergreen tree has graceful weeping fragrant foliage. Fast growing. Willow Leafed Peppermint Gum. Waxy oily foliage resists drought. Insignificant white flowers are small & go almost unnoticed. The tree will grow 20 to 30 feet high & wide. This Eucalyptus tree is hardy to wind, poor soil, drought, & cold down to 15 F. This tree does have somewhat invasive roots & is sensitive to over watering.

Silver Dollar Gum
Eucalyptus polyanthemos

This handsome evergreen tree from Australia is known for its distinctive foliage. The tree tends to be multi trunked or forked often they grow up to 30 feet high & wide. Hardy to 10 degrees F. The young foliage is used in floral arrangements & it can be dried. The trees are striking additions to large properties. The white flowers add interest in winter.

Crepe Myrtle
Lagerstroemia indica

Crepe Myrtles are nice well behaved multi trunked small trees or large shrubs. Some varieties are dwarf while other grow up to 25 feet high & wide. The small leafs are deciduous during the winter. Crepe Myrtles grow naturally multi stemmed. The flower clusters are showy. Crepe Myrtles are from Central Asian & need winter cold & summer heat to bloom. The summer flowers can be white, pink, red, or purple. This is an extremely popular & commonly encountered landscape plant.