Best Types of Trees to Grow in the Southwest

The American Southwest is a beautiful place to live, with plenty of sunshine and a comfortable, dry climate. With modern conveniences like air conditioning, it’s a great place for people. Not all trees and plants enjoy the desert environment, however. Fortunately, there are beautiful trees that thrive in this region, and don’t even need a lot of maintenance once they’re established.

• Aleppo Pines: These ornamental trees have a distinct trunk and can get as tall as 80 feet.
• Live Oaks: These trees are known for their beauty and their extreme drought tolerance. They’re hearty evergreens and can live for generations.
• Jacaranda: With fern style foliage that provides soft, filtered shade, Jacaranda trees also feature beautiful purple blossoms. They’re fast-growing, and they love the hot sun of the Southwest.
• Desert Willows: Relatives of the willow tree, these trees don’t have branches that hang down as far. They’re drought tolerant and love full sun.
• Acacia Trees: Acacias grow quickly and live for 20-30 years. They’re great for stabilizing soil with their roots, and are bright with green, yellow, or white colors.
• Texas Mountain Laurel: This looks like a tree, but it’s actually a scrub. Texas Mountain Laurels provide plenty of shade, and they’re beautiful, growing up to 15 feet high and blooming with massive purple flowers. The seeds of the Texas Mountain Laurel are poisonous, though, so if you’ve got kids or pets, you’ll need to be careful.
• Crape Myrtle: Featuring delicate blooms from spring to fall, these small to medium sized trees are drought tolerant and love the hot sun.
• Fruit Trees: There are several different types of fruit tree that grow in the Southwest. Try the Santa Rosa Plum, or choose from a variety of citrus fruits. Avocado trees also use very little water, and pomegranate trees are drought tolerant and easy to grow.

If you’re looking for trees for your Southwestern yard, Moon Valley Nurseries has a wide and beautiful selection. Moon Valley Nurseries started as a small neighborhood nursery, and now has locations all across the West. We deliver and plant anything in our massive inventory, and because we grow our plants ourselves, we can give our customers the lowest prices in town, guaranteed. Whether you need a tree or two or an entire landscape, our friendly staff members will go the extra mile to make you happy. Contact us through our website, call (602) 388-1529 or stop by to check out all we have to offer, from the best trees and plants to professional crews and planters to certified designers ready to make your yard the best in the neighborhood.