Desert Trees are the Best Trees to Plant this Summer

Our Trees are Acclimated to the Desert Regions

It’s a common misconception that you are not able to plant trees in your yard during the summer. With the scorching Arizona heat, it’s a rational assumption to make but we are here to tell you that it is absolutely not true! Moon Valley Nurseries custom-grows all our trees, including our desert trees, to adapt to similar climates that they will be planted in, which means while our competitors might not be excited to plant anything in the summer, we are! 

(Fruitless Olive Pictured)

In nature, our native trees such as Palo Verdes, Mesquites, Ironwoods, Joshua Trees and Ocotillo are already accustomed to our dry heat year-round. They will even repopulate all summer long because they have adapted to our environment and can handle the high temperatures and little water that the desert provides them. When grown at Moon Valley Nurseries farms, our desert trees grow under the exact same conditions but with custom fertilizer and advanced care that helps to enhance plant health, as it matures.

Overall, desert trees love the heat, need less water than most trees, and grow quickly with supplemental water (hose, irrigation, etc.) since they’re naturally used to low-water environments. Do not feel like you are nailed down to the native trees though! Moon Valley Nurseries has TONS of awesome desert trees to choose from such as:  

Fruitless Olive – Gorgeous evergreen shade tree that thrives in the desert sun and blooms cream-colored flowers from spring to fall.

Jacaranda – Exotic flowering tree with vibrant purple blossoms and fern-like foliage.

Vitex – Usually grown in multi-trunk form, this smaller-sized tree offers show-stopping bluish-purple blooms.

Sissoo – Fast-growing tree that creates tons of shade and loves growing in full sun and hot conditions.

Mulga Acacia – An evergreen that can be used as a small tree or a large bush, offering fern-style foliage and occasional yellow flowers.

Texas Ebony - Desert tree with unique twisting branches that add dramatic shadows throughout a landscape.

African Sumac – An evergreen that provides vigorous green growth all year and is easy to prune. Extremely durable to all weather conditions, once established.

These are trees that grow naturally in environments very similar to ours here in the Southwest. Since we grow all our trees here in the Southwest, they have lived their whole lives in the desert, which has acclimated them to our weather and made them even more resilient.

(Vitex)

Our Desert Trees are Cleaner than our Competitors

Something that makes people shy away from these beautiful desert trees is the tendency for these trees to produce thorns or seed pods. Luckily, Moon Valley Nurseries offers hybrid forms of popular desert trees such as the Chilean Mesquite and Desert Museum Palo Verde.

These desert trees are seedless and thornless varieties that are only found in our nurseries. Being seedless AND thornless makes them a much cleaner tree than older varieties of Palo Verdes and native mesquites, so you don’t have to worry about poking yourself with any thorns anymore. In addition, some of our trees such as the Fruitless Olive, Mulga Acacia , and Willow Acacia are naturally clean trees!

Desert Plants for your Yard

Want to add to your landscape but just don’t have the room for a tree? We have TONS of cacti, agave, aloe, and desert shrubs that are just waiting to be planted this summer! We have all the typical favorites such as Golden Barrels, Saguaros, Century Plants, Mexican Birds of Paradise, and Aloe Vera.

We also have more unique desert plants such as Yucca Pendula, Sticks on Fire (pictured above), and Gopher Plants! Want a cactus but don’t want the thorns? Try a Totem Pole!

Create a Colorful Xeriscape Landscape

Do you like the xeriscape look and a waterwise yard but worried it might be too bland? If you’re not a desert native, you might be surprised to hear that most cacti do actually flower, bringing that needed pop of color!

Make sure to check out Arizona’s crown jewel, the Saguaro (pictured below), which gets a beautiful crown of flowers around the late spring through early summer every year. That flower is the official state flower of Arizona and an awesome addition to any Arizona landscape.

Visit Moon Valley Nurseries

If you’re looking to get the yard of your dreams, don’t wait until the fall, come in now! My name is Patrick Freytag, and I’m a landscape designer with years of experience helping customers in the West Valley at our Peoria location, just off 83^rd Avenue and Pinnacle Peak.

I have a passion for plants, and I love helping people find the perfect designs to suit their needs. If you live in the area, come see me and I’d love to help you design your dream yard! If you’re on the other side of town, head down to your nearest Moon Valley Nursery and ask for one of our very knowledgeable landscape designers to help you find the perfect plants for your landscape this summer!