Trees

Fast growing & adaptable ornamental small tree. Like other Caesalpinias, Mexican bird are nitrogen fixing legumes that do not require additional fertilization even in average soils. They will grow as a large multi-trunked shrub or can be easily pruned into small accent trees. Blooms are yellow formed in spikes above the foliage, followed by long pods containing hard seeds. The fastest growth comes from moderate supplemental water initially, but once established trees can adapt to once per month deep soakings.

Native durability provides shade. These trees are one of the important native trees that dominate our arborescent Sonoran Desert. Adaptable to many desert designs, all Palo Verdes have characteristically green bark, this one has blue-green foliage that provides its common name. Moderate to fast growing to about 30 ft., most typically multi-trunked with low, dense branching habit. Deep infrequent watering keeps these trees well rooted and blooming well once they are established. Yellow blooms cover the tree canopy in spring. Blue Palo Verde are less desirable as parking lot trees, due to their low branching habit that typically leads to unsightly, over-pruned and unhealthy trees. However, they work well in open residential or commercial landscapes where regular, but light canopy thinning can be performed.

Our popular flagship Palo Verde! Recognized as a special and unique thornless multi-species Parkinsonia hybrid. ‘Sonoran Emerald’ is a rare selection discovered and produced exclusively by Arizona Wholesale Growers and it has offered outstanding performance, reliability and won customer satisfaction for decades. As often happens with hybrids, ‘Sonoran Emerald’ acquired all the best natural traits and none of the bad ones, as with other hybrid Palo Verdes. While many other hybrid Palo Verdes struggle with root stabilization issues and show excessive speed of growth that often leads them to simply topple over in only a few years, savvy landscape architects and contractors have discovered ‘Sonoran Emerald’ outperforms all other hybrids hands-down. Designers also appreciate their long-lasting bright emerald-green bark, and foliage along with their intense yellow floriferous springtime color.

Native, durable Palo Verde. Slow growing brushy native trees found in Sonoran foothills and scrublands. Green bark matures to gray on larger, older specimens, but the canopy remains dense with bright green bark on the upper growth with tiny compound leaves. Their flowers are a pale-yellow color and typically the latest flowering Palo Verde. Easy to maintain, tolerate average rocky soils and require only modest amounts of water once trees are established. They develop size slowly, especially when grown in nursery containers, be patient and let clients know that their initial small, gawky stature will change much more rapidly once trees are planted in their permanent home.

Sculptural living art when mature. Moderate to vigorous growing multi-trunked trees develop silky smooth gray-green bark as they reach maturity. While young, immature trees tend to have a weepy branching structure, mature trees form a dynamic umbrella-like canopy. Small, compound leaves have a blue-green color and soft green branches have numerous small spines. April floral displays are spectacular with trees covered in bright yellow as well as the ground beneath them. The only maintenance they require is to shape with annual to biannual selective pruning or thinning to help encourage the healthiest growth habit.

A cross between ‘Bubba’ and ‘Sweet Katie Burgundy’, Sweet Bubba shows large, dark green glossy leaves and an enormous burgundy bloom. Unlike its parents, this desert willow tree is seedless. Sweet fragranced trumpet-shaped blooms form starting in spring and last through summer. While they perform best with ample water to get them started, the trees eventually become quite drought-tolerant and adaptable for low desert use. Frequently used as a single specimen tree, ‘Sweet Bubba’ is effective when planted in a grove or en masse. Some training is needed initially to establish upright, multi-trunk healthy trees but are very self-sufficient when mature. Then its slender branches and graceful foliage will create an enchanting silhouette against the sky.

Burgundy blooms with virtually no seed pods. Adaptable and fast growing with no thorns and virtually no seed pods. Not a true willow, but the numerous narrow, shiny green leaves provide a willow-like appearance on these upright growing deciduous trees. These riparian trees are drought tolerant once mature, but moderate to ample water initially helps them to become well-rooted and permanently established. They will go winter dormant, losing their leaves for a short time, before leafing out and resuming their persistent spring and summer flowering. They deserve wider consideration and use in low desert landscapes due to their reliability and ease of care & culture.

Hardy flowering accent tree. These interesting intergeneric hybrids are a cross between Catalpa bignonioides x Chilopsis linearis almost 60 years ago in Uzbekistan. The cross created cold hardy, small flowering multi-trunked trees well suited for dry upland mid to high desert landscapes. Open irregular shaped with long green lanceolate leaves much wider than our native desert willows. ‘Pink Dawn’ was and is the most popular cultivar offered today with large light pink tubular flowers. More rare but equally handsome, ‘Morning Cloud’ is a named selection with pure white blooms. Being crossed with the SE native Catalpa sp., these Chitalpa require more regular and deep watering in the low desert to be happy and their naturally open canopies leave them prone to bark sunscald from late afternoon sun. If you can site them where they only get morning sun with afternoon shade they are much happier trees. In colder upland zones, they make fine flowering accent trees.

Tough, small white flowering accent tree. These are an evergreen large shrub to small tree with ruffled green foliage, crepe paper white flowers, and rugged-looking bark. They grow at a slow to moderate rate to form multi-trunked or single trunk trees equally suitable for desert or tropical settings. Fuzzy flower clusters give way to oval shaped fruits that resemble large olives; hence, the common name. While moderate supplemental irrigation helps young trees to get establish more quickly, they will mature to become very drought and heat tolerant. Little to no regular maintenance is required other than raking up fallen fruits, or light annual pruning to train young trees into desired shape and structure.