Acacia aneura (Mulga). Tolerates reflected heat, Hardy to 15 deg. F. Evergreen shrub or small tree, grows slowly to 15 feet tall by 10 feet in spread. Little water once established. Australian native.

Acacia berlandieri (Guajillo). Tolerates heat, frost hardy, evergreen in mild winters. Shrub or small tree. Grows to 15' tall and 10' wide. Low water use, needs good drainage. Origin: Chihuahuan desert.

Acacia constricta (White thorn acacia). Full sun, hardy to 15° F. Large shrub or small tree, spreading to 15' tall. Little or no water once established. Origin: Southwestern USA.

Acacia craspedocarpa (Leather leaf acacia). Sunset: 8,9,12-24; USDA:8b-12. Full sun to part shade. Hardy to 15°F. Shrub or tree to 15' tall; gray-green leather-like leaves. Little water in Phoenix, no water in most other locations. Origin: Australia

Acacia greggii (Cat claw acacia). Tolerates reflected heat. Hardy to 0°F.  Deciduous, large shrub or small tree, fast growing to 20' tall. Drought tolerant, looks better with occasional watering. Origin: Southwestern USA.

Acacia salicina (Willow acacia). Single or multi-stemmed tree. Grows rapidly from 20-40 ft tall, 10-20 ft wide. Leaves form narrow strips. Branches weep. Hardy to 20° F. Australian native.

Acacia saligna (Blue leaf wattle). Single or multi-stemmed tree can be grown as a shrub. Grows to 15 - 25ft high; 10 - 20 ft wide. Semi-evergreen. Hardy to 20° F. Australian native.

Acacia smallii (Sweet acacia). Heat tolerant. Matures to 15' - 30 tall; 15 - 20 wide. Semi-Deciduous. Fragrant flowers. Rapid growth with regular watering. Hardy to 15° F.

Acacia stenophylla (Shoestring acacia). Heat tolerant. Matures to 20' - 25 tall; 15 - 20 wide. Drought tolerant, little water once established. Weeping branches. Hardy to 20 F.Australian native.

Acacia willardiana (Palo blanco). Graceful small tree 15 to 20 feet tall; 10 to 15 feet wide. Hardy to 23°F. Peeling bark reveals smooth white inner bark. Little water once established. Native to Mexico (Sonora).

Beaucarnea recurvata (Ponytail palm) Sunset: 11,13, 16-27; USDA: 9-10. Prefers light shade in Phoenix. Heat tolerant. Little to moderate water. Hardy to 23°F. Grows to 15' tree. Origin: Central to southeastern Mexico.

Beaucarnea recurvata more pictures

Brachychiton populneus (Bottle tree). Evergreen tree, up to 40 feet tall; 30 feet wide. Drought hardy, prefers well drained soil. Hardy to 20°F. Australian native.

Caesalpinia cacalaco (Cascalote). Evergreen tree, growing slowly to 20 feet tall, 20 feet wide. Sun and heat tolerant. Hardy to 20°F. Little water. Native to Southern Mexico.

Caesalpinia mexicana (Mex. bird of paradise). Evergreen small tree or large shrub. Fast growing to 10 -15 feet tall; 6 -15 wide. Yellow flowers. Hardy to 20°F. Drought tolerant.

Carya illinoinensis (Pecan tree). Deciduous tree, slowly grows to 70' tall; 40' + spread.  Full sun. Regular water, needs good drainage. Origin: Southern and central USA.

Cercidium floridum (Blue palo verde). Deciduous tree, smooth bluish-green bark. Grows to 30 feet tall; 25 wide. Little water when established. Hardy to 10°F. Native to S.W. Calif., AZ, N.W. Mexico.

Cercidium desert museum. Thornless hybrid palo verde. Hardy in Phoenix. Small delicate tree grows to about 25'. Foliage is medium green, bright yellow flowers in spring. Drought and heat tolerant.

Cercidium hybrid 'Sonoran emerald'. Hardy to 22° F. Rapidly growing deciduous tree, to 25' tall. Sports more of a blue-green color to its bark and leaves and is more dense than the 'Museum'. Longer leaves and more graceful looking than the 'Museum'.

Cercidium microphyllum (Foothills palo verde). Single or multi-stemmed tree. Grows slowly to 20 ft. tall with equal spread. Solitary, pale yellow, blooms in late spring. Very drought and heat tolerant. Hardy to 20° F. Native to AZ, Calif. and Baja Mexico.

Cercidium praecox (Palo brea). Small deciduous tree, 20' + tall; 20' wide. Short bright green trunk, arching growth, spines. No water necessary once established. Prefers slightly alkaline soil. Hardy to 22° F. Orgin: Mexico and south to Peru and Ecuador.

Chilopsis linearis (Desert willow). Deciduous shrub or small tree, fast growing to 25' tall; 20' spread. Heat resistant, Hardy to 10 F. Moderate to little water, needs good drainage. Origin: S. W. USA, northern Mexico.

Chitalpa tashkentensis (Pink dawn). Sunset: 3-24; USDA: 8-11. Full sun to light shade. Deciduous tree, up to 30' tall. Origin: hybrid of Chilopsis linearis and Catalpa bignonioides.

Eucalyptus microtheca (Sunset: 5,6,8-24; USDA:8-11) Full sun. Moderate water, drought tolerant, tolerates reflected heat. Evergreen tree, up to 40' tall. Hardy to 10°F. Origin: Australia

Eucalyptus papuana (Ghost gum) Sunset: 5,6,8-24; USDA: 9-11. Full sun. Moderate water. Evergreen tree, up to 30-60' tall; 25-50' wide. Hardy to 22°F. Origin: New Guinea, Australia

Ficus benjamina (Weeping chinese banyan). Sunset: 13, 23-24; USDA: 9b-11. Prefers light shade. Heat tolerant. Hardy to 32 °F. Semi hardy in Phoenix. Rapidly grows to 30' tree. Watering Needs: Moderate to abundant water. Origin: India

Ficus nitida (Indian laurel). Full sun. Evergreen tree 30 to 60' tall; 30' spread. Needs deep watering in summer. Hardy in warmer parts of Phoenix except if recently planted, some leave drops after hard frosts. Native to Malaysia to Borneo.

Fraxinus greggii (Little leaf ash). USDA: 7b-10. Full sun to partial sun. Hardy to 5°F. Little to moderate water. Large evergreen shrub or small tree growing to 18' tall. Origin: Brazil, Northwestern Argentina, Bolivia.

Fraxinus griffithii (Griffith ash). Evergreen tree growing to 45' tall. Moderate water. Hardy to 25°F. Origin: Philippines, Vietnam, China, and Taiwan.

Fraxinus uhdei (Shamel / Tropical ash) Sunset: 9, 12-24; USDA: 9-10. Full sun to light shade. Hardy to 22° F. Grows rapidly to 25-30' in 10 years - 40' in 20 years. In colder valley locations, hard frost kill back branch tips. Origin: Central America to Mexico.

Fraxinus velutina 'Fan tex' (Sunset: 8-24; USDA: 6-10). Tree, 25 ft to 30 ft tall; 45 feet spread. Moderate water. Heat tolerant, Hardy to 0° F. Native to Southwestern USA; popular cultivar of F. velutina.

Fraxinus velutina (Arizona ash). Tree, 25 to 30 ft tall; 45 ft spread. Moderate water. Heat tolerant, Hardy to -10° F. Native to Southwestern USA (Az, Calif, Nv, NM, TX, Utah) and northern Mexico

Jacaranda mimosifolia (Blue jacaranda). Sunset: 12, 13, 15-25, 27; USDA: 9b-10. Full sun. Hardy to 25°F. Protect from hard freeze. Regular water. Deciduous or evergreen tree to 25' tall and more. Origin: Brazil, Northwestern Argentina, Bolivia.

Koelreuteria paniculata (Golden rain tree). Sunset: 2-21,28-41, USDA: 5-9b. Deciduous, rounded tree, growing rapidly to 20' tall +. Regular to moderate water, prefers well drained soil. Origin: Philippines, Vietnam, China, and Taiwan.

Lysiloma thornberi (Fern of the desert) Sunset: 10,12-24; USDA: 9-10. Full sun. Little water. Grows to 12' tall; 15' wide. Hardy to 20°F. Origin: Southwestern USA.

Myrtus communis 'Boetica' (Twisted myrtle). Sunset: 8-24,26-28; USDA: 8-10. Heat tolerant.
Full sun to light shade. Little to no water, drought tolerant, needs good drainage. Irregularly twisted, Evergreen shrub or small tree, 5 - 15' tall. Origin: Mediterranean basin.

Myrtus communis 'Compacta' (Compact myrtle). Sunset: 8-24,26-28; USDA: 8-10. Full sun to light shade. Little to no water, drought tolerant. Evergreen shrub or small tree, 5 - 15' tall. Origin: Mediterranean basin.

Myrtus communis (True Myrtle). Sunset: 8-24,26-28; USDA: 8-10. Full sun to light shade. Little to no water, drought tolerant, needs good drainage. Evergreen shrub, or small tree, 5 to 15' tall. Origin: Mediterranean basin.

Nerium oleander (Pruned and staked to be a single trunk tree). Red, white or pink flowers. Full sun. Hardy to 20° F. Evergreen shrub, fast growing to 16' tall. Moderate to little water. Origin: Middle East, Asia.

Olea europaea (Fruitless olive tree). 25-35 feet tall with equal spread. Normally no flowers, but can have a few. Produces no mature fruit. Fun sun. Hardy to 18°F.

Olneya tesota (Desert ironwood). Evergreen tree or large shrub, growing slowly up to 15 to 30 feet tall; 15-25 ft. spread. Heat tolerant. Little or no water. Hardy to 25°F. Native to Sonoran desert in AZ and Mexico.

Pinus canariensis (Canary Island pine). USDA: 9-11. Full sun. Damaged below 20°F. Low to moderate watering. Evergreen tree grows to 60' + tall. Origin: Western Canary Islands.

Pinus eldarica (Afghan pine)

Pinus halepensis (Aleppo pine). Tree 30 to 60 feet; more, 20 to 40 feet spread. Prominent horizontal branches. Drought tolerant, needs supplemental water. One of best pines for desert. Hardy to 15°F. Native to Mediterranean, Middle East.

Pistacia atlantica (Red push). Sunset: 8-24; USDA: 9-10. Full sun. Large broad deciduous or semi-evergreen tree, growing slowly to 40' + tall. Moderate to little water, needs good drainage. Origin: Mediterranean basin, Middle East, Afghanistan.

Pistacia chinensis (Chinese pistache). Sunset: 4-16,18-23; 8b-10. Full sun. Deciduous tree, growing slowly to 40' + tall. Moderate to little water. Origin: South China, Philippines.

Pistacia lentiscus (Mastic tree). Sunset: 8,9,12-24; USDA: 9-11. Full sun to part shade. Hardy to 20°F. Evergreen shrub or small tree growing to 15' + tall. Little to no water. Origin: Mediterranean.

Pithecellobium Flexicaule (Texas ebony). Evergreen tree, semi deciduous, grows very slowly to 30 feet tall; 30 feet wide. Heat tolerant. Little or no water. Hardy to 10° F. Native to Texas Florida, Yucatan.

Pittosporum phillyraeoides (Willow pittosporum)

Platanus wrightii (Arizona sycamore)

Populus fremontii (Western cottonwood). Full sun, heat resistant. Deciduous tree, 20 to 100' tall; 25 to 33' spread. Semi-evergreen in mild winter climate. Needs regular deep watering. Origin: Southwestern USA, N.W. Mexico

Prosopis thornless hybrid. (Chilean mesquite). USDA: 8b-11. Full sun. Little water. This thornless, deciduous tree, grows to 30' tall. Hardy to 15°F. Maintenance: high due to pod, flower and leaf drop. Origin: Chile, USA Southwest.

Prosopis alba (Argentine mesquite). Sunset: 10-13, 27-30; USDA: 9-10. Full sun. Little water. Evergreen tree, grows to 30' tall. Large, thick, spines. Hardy to 20°F. Origin: Argentina.

Prosopis chilensis (Chilean mesquite) Sunset: 10-13,27-30; USDA: 8b-11. Full sun. Little water. The Chilean mesquite normally has thorns, a thornless cultivar is available. Deciduous, grows to 30' tall. Hardy to 15°F. Origin: Chile.

Prosopis glandulosa (Texas honey mesquite) Sunset: 10-13; USDA: 7-11. Full sun. Little water. Deciduous tree, grows to 30'; 20' spread tall. Hardy to 0°F. Origin: Southwestern USA.

Prosopis pubescens (Screwbean mesquite) Sunset: 10-13,27-30; USDA: 7-10. Full sun. Little water. Thorny deciduous tree, grows to 25' tall; 25' wide. Hardy to -18°F. Origin: Southern New Mexico and Texas, Baja Calif., S. E. California, southern Nevada, eastern Arizona, and extreme southwestern Utah.

Prosopis velutina (Native mesquite). Sunset: 10-13; USDA: 8b-10. Full sun. Little water. Deciduous thorny shrub or small tree, grows to 25-40' tall; 20'-25' wide. Hardy to 0°F. Origin: Arizona, western New Mexico), Mexico.

Prunus cerasifera (Purple cherry plum). Sunset: 1-22,28,31-34,39; USDA: 4-10. Full sun to light shade. Hardy to 10°F. Moderate water. Deciduous tree up to 30' tall. Origin: southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia.

Pyrus calleryana 'Sierra blanca' (Flowering pear)

Quercus canbyi (Canby's oak)

Quercus virginiana 'Cathedral oak'

Quercus virginiana (Southern Live oak ). Stately tree up to 60 feet tall. Abundant water required. Hardy to 15°F. Native to Southeastern USA.

Rhus lancea (African Sumac). Small to medium sized evergreen tree to 24 feet tall; 24 feet spread. Heat tolerant, little water. Hardy to 15°F. Native to Southern Africa.

California Pepper Tree (Schinus molle). Full sun. Heat tolerant. Evergreen tree, grows rapidly up to 40' tall; 40' wide. Very little water when established. Native to Peru.