I also like the slightly pendulous way that the branches hang down. First of all, I love the shape of the leaves and how the sun reflects off of them in a gentle breeze. Some of you may be surprised to know that many of our trees and shrubs are grown in our arid climate are native to Australia. The bottle tree is one of them. I spent my teenage years growing up in the town of Thousand Oaks, California and the hillsides are dotted with large, specimen oak trees. The oak trees that I see growing in our area do not resemble the ones from my childhood, so maybe that is the reason that I do not have any in my garden. But, I would wholeheartedly recommend this tree to anyone who wants a lovely, low-maintenance tree.īottle Tree (Brachychiton populneus) Bottle Tree (Brachychiton populneus) I may be crazy, but this tree seems a little boring to me. Tired of struggling in the desert garden? Sign up for my online course, DESERT GARDENING 101. In the landscape areas that I managed, they were a favorite because there was so little maintenance required. There is little not to love about these trees – they are thornless, have evergreen foliage, are tolerant of full and reflected sun making this tree very low-maintenance. In non-desert climates, they can reach heights of up to 40 – 60 ft., but will not grow that large in the desert. Southern live oak is the most prevalent, however. Southern live oak, cork oak, and holly oak are all found in the suburban landscape.

Southern Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) Southern Live Oak (Quercus virginiana)īelieve it or not, oak trees do very well in our desert climate. Now, I am more of a “Do as I say” person rather than a “Do as I do” person. I always wear gloves when I prune, but I rarely wear long sleeves in the summer months. As a result, I have some small scratch scars on my forearms from pruning sweet acacia in the past.Īlthough I love the beauty, size and the springtime fragrance of this tree, I don’t think I want to accrue any more scars on my arms 😉 Some drawbacks to consider are the thorns having to be careful when pruning is necessary (requiring gloves and long sleeves). Dark brown seedpods are produced once flowering has finished. In the springtime, air is perfumed with the fragrance of the bright yellow puffball flowers of the sweet acacia. When not in flower, the tiny, dark green leaves are easier to see.Īlthough found in other areas of the United States, it is also native to the southwest. The mature size is approximately 25 feet high and wide. In areas with mild winters, the leaves will remain on the tree. Sweet Acacia(Acacia farnesiana, Acacia smallii) Sweet Acacia (Acacia farnesiana, Acacia smallii) *I do have a desert fern tree already, and although another one would look great in my newly bare area, I think I will try to choose a different type of tree. One drawback is that it does produce brown seed pods, which some people do not like, but I have no problem with them at all. In colder winters the leaves may drop altogether. Although what I would call a medium sized tree, it typically grows from 15 – 45 feet high and wide. One of my favorite things about the desert fern is the beautiful, fern-like leaves – hence its common name.Īnother plus is that is a native, desert tree and is thornless. The leaves turn a slight maroon color in the winter in our zone 8b climate. So, here comes the fun part…which one to choose? Selecting a Desert Tree Variety: Desert Fern (Lysiloma thornberi)ĭesert Fern (Lysiloma thornberi, Lysiloma watsonii var. I would enjoy adding another kind of tree to my plant palette. Right now, I have 14 trees (8 different types) growing in my front, back and side gardens. I do not mind pruning, but pruning three of these trees each year was becoming much more of a chore.Īnother reason is that in addition to being a horticulturist, I am also a certified arborist and I do love trees and have grown many different kinds in the landscapes that I managed. Why may you ask? Well, because they grow quickly, I do have to prune them quite a bit. The fallen flowers do not bother me at all – I rather enjoy the carpet of yellow.īut, even with all of the wonderful attributes of this tree, I have decided to select another type of tree as it’s the replacement. The only drawbacks are that there is litter from the fallen flowers in spring, which means that it should not be planted by a pool. There is much to like about these trees beside the beautiful green trunks – they are fast growing, thornless, evergreen and yellow flowers in the spring. I loved my palo verde tree that fell….I have two others just like it, including the one pictured above. Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) Considering Options for Selecting a Desert Tree

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