Trees and shrubs that will thrive in your Arizona yard

Desert trees offer incredible benefits for your yard, but choosing the right tree for the right place is key to a functional and beautiful landscape. Many homes have small front, back, and side yards with limited space, making tree selection even more important. Explore our list of favorite small trees, and even a few tree-like shrubs. With the right choices, you can design a yard that’s just right for you. Donna DiFrancesco, Conservation Coordinator at Water, Use it Wisely, chimed in on some of her favorite Small Trees!

The first of our suggested desert trees: Mastic Tree

15’ tall | 20’ wide

So you’re curious about desert trees. Let’s start with this small to medium sized evergreen tree, the Mastic tree. It can grow more shrublike for screening or trained into a small specimen tree. Although native to the Mediterranean, this tree thrives in our hot desert climate. With thorn-free branches and minimal litter, it’s ideal for planting near pools or decorative fountains. The dense, dark green foliage provides a cool, shady retreat in the sunniest parts of your yard.

Leather Leaf Acacia

10’ tall | 8’ wide

Considered a large shrub, the Leather Leaf Acacia is one of the heartiest desert trees. This compact evergreen features gray-green rounded leaves that are thick and leathery. It makes a great informal screen or hedge.. Also, with some selective pruning it makes a nice multi-trunk small tree for patios. The Leather Leaf has small yellow flowers in the spring, encouraging bees and other pollinators, and produces seed pods in the summer for the birds!

Want unique desert trees? Texas Olive

10’ tall | 10’ wide

The Texas Olive is a diverse plant for both xeriscape and mesic landscape choices, making it a great choice for anyone in the Sonoran Desert. This tree looks a lot like an oleander plant when in bloom but is not poisonous. It flowers into white blooms that attract hummingbirds and butterflies! Texas olive fruit is said to be edible, and used for medicine in Mexico, but they are NOT TASTY.

Anacacho Orchid Tree

12’ tall | 8’ wide

This deciduous Texas native has beautiful white flowers in early spring that are paired with leaves resembling butterfly wings. Its compact size makes it ideal for nearly any location, and it even thrives in areas with reflected heat. With no thorns, and moderate growth it’s easy to care for. The flowers attract butterflies and other pollinators.

Mulga

20’ tall | 15’ wide

Mulga is a beautiful evergreen that is heat and full sun loving, which makes it one of the most useful desert trees for your garden! It is hardy against our alkaline soils, and the watering required is minimal! It can grow to 30 feet and requires occasional pruning. In the spring, the tree will develop rod shaped yellow flowers and then fruit in a flat, brown/green pod (inedible).

Texas Ebony

20’ tall | 15’ wide

Texas Ebony is native to the Chihuahuan Desert and is an excellent shade tree option. The pruning required is more crown raising, as the tree will grow to the ground if you let it. The tree has handsome dark green foliage and beautiful cream-colored flowers in early summer but can flower through the monsoon. The fruit pods are visible and continual and not attractive. Be sure to get some gloves to work with this tree, as the spines can draw blood. The dense, thorny branches make it a favorite for birds seeking shelter and protection.

Cascalote

20’ tall | 20’ wide

The Cascalote tree is mostly evergreen, but it may go deciduous in early spring for a short period of time. It is a little more difficult to keep pruned and will become a multi-trunk tree.

Curious about colorful desert trees? The large yellow flowers will make an appearance, usually around late fall, and they do have an attractive pod that will go from yellow/green to reddish/brown. It is very tolerant to heat and sun and needs infrequent, but deep watering. It can attract hummingbirds and other pollinators. This tree does have thorns, so it may not be a great option for shading walkways or providing climbing for children. However, a cultivar called ‘Smoothie’ is thorn-free and available at nurseries.

Vibrant desert trees to consider: Mexican Bird of Paradise 

15’ tall | 10’ wide 

Looking for vibrant desert trees? This is a wonderful large accent shrub that shows brightest in early summer when most other Phoenix plants are fading. Its colors attract hummingbirds and unfortunately, white flies. Its flowers will occasionally reseed and spread root suckers, but it is far from an invasive species. It will grow to approximately 10 feet tall and is tolerant to our sun and heat but does need a bit more water than most of the other ones we listed here. This is a beautiful addition to any yard! 

Beautiful desert trees: Texas Mountain Laurel

10’ tall | 8’ wide 

This beauty can almost be called a bush tree. Its fragrant purple flower clusters fill your yard with the sweet smell of spring. The flowers will yield seed pods that are poisonous, however the tree will attract Hummingbirds, Bees, Butterflies, and moths. While native to Southeast and Northeast New Mexico and South Texas, it is well adapted to our Arizona desert climate. It is a slow growing tree, but its dense canopy makes for good screening above a landscape wall.  

The last of our favorite desert trees: Desert Willow

25’ tall | 20’ wide 

Native to the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico, this tree is a perfect low water use tree for your yard. The Desert Willow is deciduous, losing its leaves in the winter months. During the spring through fall, however, it displays beautiful trumpet shaped flowers that attract Hummingbirds, Bumble Bees, and Carpenter Bees, the latter pollinate the tree.  The canopy can be irregular in shape. Check out the different structures and varieties this tree can add to your yard.  

Whatever tree or shrub you choose, be sure to plan sufficient space, and spread your colors out to when they bloom and for how long so you can have color longer each year

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