Fern of the Desert (Feather Bush)
Lysiloma watsonii | Also called: Feather Bush, Feather Tree, Littleleaf False Tamarind Synonyms: Lysiloma thornberi, Lysiloma microphylla var. thornberi If you’ve driven through Phoenix neighborhoods and noticed a tree with the softest, most delicate-looking foliage you’ve ever seen on something that’s obviously thriving in 110-degree heat, there’s a decent chance you were looking at a […]
Sweet Acacia Tree
Vachellia farnesiana | Also called: Huisache, Sweet Vachellia, Perfume Acacia, Texas Huisache In late winter, if you spend any time outside in the Phoenix area, you’ll catch the smell before you see the tree. Sweet Acacia flowers have a fragrance so strong and distinctive it carries through open air and across property lines – a […]
Cascalote Tree
Caesalpinia cacalaco (also listed as Tara cacalaco) | Also called: Cascalote, Mexican Bushbird Most trees in Phoenix do their best work in spring and summer. The Cascalote does the opposite. It saves its flower show for late fall through winter – big, upright spikes of bright sulfur-yellow blooms at the tip of every branch, right […]
Bottlebrush Tree
Callistemon viminalis (Weeping Bottlebrush) / Callistemon citrinus (Lemon Bottlebrush) | Also called: Weeping Bottlebrush, Crimson Bottlebrush, Scarlet Bottlebrush The Bottlebrush is one of those trees that earns its place in Phoenix landscapes on looks alone. The flowers are unlike almost anything else you can grow here – dense, cylindrical spikes of brilliant red stamens that […]
Vitex (Chaste Tree)
Vitex agnus-castus | Also called: Chaste Tree, Chasteberry, Monk’s Pepper Tree, Lilac Chaste Tree If you want a tree that blooms its head off in the Phoenix summer heat while everything else looks like it’s surviving rather than thriving, the Vitex deserves a serious look. Long, upright spikes of lavender to purple flowers cover the […]
Desert Willow Tree
Chilopsis linearis | Also called: Flowering Willow, Mimbre, Desert Catalpa The Desert Willow might be the best flowering tree for Phoenix that most people underestimate. It’s native, it’s tough, it blooms from late spring all the way into fall, it handles 115 degree heat without complaint, and it’s cold-hardy down to about 0 degrees F. […]
Texas Olive Tree (Anacahuita)
Cordia boissieri | Also called: Mexican Olive, Anacahuita, White Cordia There are a handful of trees that stop people in their tracks when they’re in bloom, and the Texas Olive is one of them. Large, crepe-paper-white flowers with a yellow throat, clustered at the tips of every branch, on a tree that’s also handling full […]
STOP Your War On Weeds!
Soil First Your War on Weeds Is Killing Your Soil What weeds are actually trying to tell you about your yard. Walk outside and look at your yard. Most people scan right past everything else and land on the weeds. They don’t belong. Pull them. Spray them. Get rid of them. That’s what we’ve been […]
Friend or Foe? Neither… And Stop Asking That Question
Every gardener eventually asks it: “Is this a good bug or a bad bug?” I get it. It feels like exactly the right question to ask. It isn’t. And I don’t say that to be contrarian. I say it because that question is built on an assumption that quietly shapes everything you do in your […]
Watering Guide – Phoenix, AZ | Zone 9B
Learn how to properly water trees and plants in Phoenix with this simple, science-backed deep watering guide. Instead of frequent shallow watering, this method focuses on slow, deep irrigation that strengthens roots, improves drought tolerance, and prevents overwatering. You’ll also learn where to water (hint: not at the trunk), how often to water in each […]