Trees for Baja Arizona
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Below are trees native to the southwestern United States and Mexico that we try to carry at Spadefoot Nursery, appropriate for low to mid elevations in SE Arizona. Be aware that availability on all species of plants can vary depending on season, popularity, and production. A few of the trees below are not yet available in the trade, but we are working on changing that. We encourage you to emphasize the plants native to the area you live in, but having a few species that are near-natives still services wildlife while encouraging diversity. Near-natives don’t often become invasive species because they often already share ecological relationships with the fauna from our area—native distributions of plants are not fixed, nor political. The important thing is that natives and near-natives share faunal relationships (much of the same fauna, or migrating fauna, occurs in different landscapes).
Trees are important, perhaps the most important element of the landscape. Be sure you place your shade on the human structures and try not to over-shade your yard, if your aim is to plant out your landscape. Maybe it’s counter-intuitive, but too much shade is more limiting than full sun. Most tree species are available in 5 gallon sizes or larger since most tree species grow very fast and aren’t appropriate for smaller sizes (they outgrow them quickly). We have posted pertinent information on each species to help you make your decisions—size, habits, low temperatures tolerated, horticultural requirements, and some notes on wildlife benefits. Though many palms are trees, we have put palms in another section.
Know your low temperatures, your soil type, and have a plan for watering. Selecting the right plant depends on your knowledge of your own yard. We can always help you to figure out whether your plant selection is appropriate for your area. Though we limit our selection to a relatively small area (compared to most retail nurseries) we live in a diverse area with various types of terrain, low temperatures, and water availability.
Palo Joso (Albizia sinoloensis)
Anacacho (Bauhinia luniarioides)
Alamos Pea Tree (Brogniartia alamosana)
Elephant Tree (Bursera microphylla)
Crucifixion Thorn (Canotia holacantha)
Emoryi's Crucifixion Thorn (Castela emoryi)
Desert Hackberry (Celtis pallida)
Canyon Hackberry (Celtis reticulata)
Redbuds (Cercis spp.)
Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus spp)
Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis)
Palo Pinto (Chloroleucon mangense var. leucospermum)
Sonoran Kapok Tree (Ceiba asculifolia)
Chitalpa (xChitalpa tashkentensis)
Sonoran Seagrape (Coccoloba goldmanii)
Texas Olive (Cordia boissieri)
Palo Colorado (Coulteria platyloba)
Ciruelo Cimarrón (Cyrtocarpa edulis)
Arantho (Decatropis bicolor)
Arizona Lacepod (Dermatophyllum arizonicum)
Texas Mountain Laurel (Dermatophyllum secundiflorum)
Texas Persimmon (Diospyros texana)
Ironwood (Olneya tesota)