Moon Valley Nurseries has got you covered whether you have a battered landscape or are looking for one of the best ways to increase property value with an improved yard. In fact, no one does it better than us. You see, we value engineer all our products so that you can rest assured that you are getting the absolute best quality trees at the best price. Let’s face it, time is precious, and most of us do not want to wait 20 to 25 years for trees and other plants to grow to a size that makes your yard look complete and beautiful. Buy specimen trees, and the wait is over!

OUR MOON VALLEY FAMILY FARMS

We grow the finest trees anywhere, following our own strict quality control measures to produce locally grown trees and plants that will thrive in the area you live! Everything is value engineered, so not only are they grown from our selected mother trees in our labs, but they are also always guaranteed. Our huge grow farms in Arizona, California, and Texas include everything from Olive trees to Ficus trees, citrus and fruit, agaves and cacti, rare and hard-to-find cycads, palm trees, and so much more. While our farms are not open to the public, you can always make an appointment to come check us out!

HOME OF SPECIMEN TREES READY TO THRIVE!

If you want an instant landscape, you will want big trees, palms, shrubs and other plants. If you want privacy, consider trees such as our Ficus nitida, also known as the Hollywood Style Hedge, are a great tree that will block out unwanted views and noise in style. Indian Laurel Columns may be another name that you know these by, but no matter what you call them, they are a fantastic tree choice.

Are you looking for drought- tolerant trees? We grow them too! Take a look at the Desert Museum Palo Verde for a tree that is sure to get your yard noticed for all the right reasons! How about palm trees that bring a tropical look to your home? We have them too, such as our lush Foxtail Palms and Mexican Blue Palms! Are you seeking a look with more foliage? We grow deciduous trees, such as Red Push Pistache trees that bring the look of a New England landscape to your Southwest home! Looking for trees that can provide massive amounts of shade? You will love our variety of Ash tree specimens!

Much More than Premium Trees at the Best Price!

In addition to our incredible selection of premium trees at the best price, we are proud to offer professional landscape design consultations. Our experienced landscape design pros are available to help you create your dream landscape. This service is free at any of our nurseries! For a nominal fee, we are happy to come to you and help you create a beautiful landscape.

Moon Valley Nurseries sweetens the deal even more with FREE PLANTING! Yup, you read that right! We deliver the trees straight to your house and plant them for you. With free planting and professional design, Moon Valley Nurseries makes it easy to achieve the yard of your dreams.

CHECK OUT THESE SPECIMEN TREES READY TO GO FROM OUR FARMS TO YOUR YARD!

RED PUSH PISTACHE (PISTACIA x ‘red push’):

These medium deciduous trees are grown from cuttings and are guaranteed to have that lovely red fall color! These low-maintenance trees are an excellent choice for adding shade to your yard. The Red Push Pistache tree is drought-tolerant so that they are ideal for landscapes anywhere in the Southwest!

DATE PALM (Phoenix dactylifera):

These palms will create a luxurious feel to any property! Not only do they look great, but they are able to handle any weather conditions you can throw at it. The palm leaves grow out into a large umbrella-shape for shade. Date palms will add a resort-feel wherever they are planted. They are even great additions near pools as they make almost no mess in its surroundings!

CITRUS AND FRUIT TREES:

Grow your own fruit and reap the benefits! We have extra-large fruit and citrus trees available right now, bearing fruit and adding plenty of beauty to any yard, small and large. We offer Peach, Apricot, Apple, Nectarine, Orange, Lime, Plum trees, and more! Visit us and find the perfect citrus and fruit trees to create an edible landscape today!

TIPU TREE (TIPUANA TIPU):

If you need shade, you cannot go wrong with a colorful Tipu tree! These medium-to-large trees put on a show when the leaves bloom into a golden hue creating a beautiful contrast with the feather, bright bluish-green foliage. The Tipuana tipu is one of the best shade trees you can find and is sure to add year-round beauty to landscapes.

We Are Growing and Expanding!

We want everyone in America to be able to have a beautiful landscape with our custom-grown, value engineered trees, shrubs and other plants. We are growing and expanding, bringing our incredible specimen trees, shrubs and other plants, as well as our renowned customer service and design consultations across America.

We opened our first nursery in a neighborhood north of downtown Phoenix, known as “Moon Valley”. Since the beginning, Moon Valley Nursery has offered its “You buy it, we plant it” tree deals and continue to this day. We now have multiple locations in Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas, and Florida!

Visit us today and experience the Moon Valley difference!

The growing season is upon us! We are finally starting to come out of the hot summer and into cooler fall. We will greatly appreciate the cooler weather and our landscapes will, too. Fall is the time when our trees and plants can effectively establish themselves into their environment. With the changing of the season, there are a few things we need to remember so that our landscapes and gardens can thrive.

Watering: With the cooler nights and days, it’s important to change our watering routine. For fall, we need to water less often than we do during the hot summer. Typically, once our daytime temperatures reach 85-100 degrees, we move away from our summer watering schedule. There are factors that play into how much you need to water; those factors are the type of tree or plant, and the planting location. Check out our watering guide to see what we recommend. If you would like more help, don’t hesitate to reach out to one of our nursery pros at your nearest Moon Valley Nursery location. Now’s a great time to help cut the amount of water we use by reducing the frequency that we water our lawns. With cooler weather, our lawns will retain more moisture longer, cutting back on our usage. So, we need to cut back on the frequency of watering, not the actual amount used when watering.

Fertilizing: It’s time to fertilize! Fertilizing will help your trees, palms, and other plants grow to their full potential. Now is the perfect time for giving additional help with the growing process, fertilizers allow trees and plants to intake more nutrients and water along with making nutrients more readily available. Moon Valley Nurseries has a line of custom developed fertilizers that can be used on a variety of landscape materials – turf, grass, palms, desert trees, shade trees, and so much more. Click here to see our fertilizers.

Tree Care: Make way for new growth! That’s right. Trim off the dead or damaged branches so that new growth has room to bloom. Proper tree care is vital for strong growth in this fall season. Were the monsoons rough on your landscape? No need to worry. Our professional tree care team is here to help. They can remove any dead, damaged, or overgrown branches. Let us clean up your landscape!

What to Plant

Crape Myrtle – If you want color, this is the tree for you! Blooming large clusters of flowers throughout all seasons, the Crape Myrtle will deliver year-round interest. We custom grow our Crape Myrtles to be mildew resistant, making them the strongest Crape Myrtle you can find. With low maintenance needs, low water use, and the variety of colors of flowers, it is easy to see why the Crape Myrtle is one of the most popular flowering trees for any yard. This drought tolerant tree grows in a vase shape, with vibrant flowers popping against shiny, bright green leaves. The multi-trunk looks impressive with nighttime lighting, adding even more interest to a landscape.

Tipu – This fast-growing shade tree is the solution for adding shade and beauty to any yard. Its large canopy is created with feathery, bright bluish-green foliage. The Tipu tree features a fissured bark texture and, in late spring, lovely golden blooms appear. Tipus are water-wise, drought tolerant, and grows well in many soil conditions. These trees require little maintenance. And, as a bonus, the nectar of the Tipu attracts butterflies and other pollinators to your yard or garden.

Chinese Elm – The Chinese Elm is also known as the “Evergreen Elm”. In very mild winters, Chinese Elms can retain their leaves throughout the season. The foliage is dark green and creates an umbrella-shaped canopy that produces mass amounts of shade. The Chinese Elm is ideal for use as a picnic spot, for climbing, or for attaching a tire swing for the kids to enjoy. This tree thrives in full sun and is very tolerant of poor soil and poor weather. Moon Valley Nurseries carries the ‘True Green’ strain which does not weep.

Ficus Columns – Indian Laurel Columns are an excellent choice for creating a living wall. Need privacy? Look no further. These Ficus Columns have dense evergreen foliage that works well for blocking unwanted sights and noises. They even create shady areas. Once established, Indian Laurel Columns are drought tolerant and water-wise. They are easy to prune, so you can keep them small and topiary or tall and majestic – whichever fits your style. Grown to thrive in desert environments, Ficus Nitida Columns are sure to add greenery to our arid Arizona landscapes.

Piru Queen Palm – Our Piru Queen Palms feature thicker and harder trunks, denser and greener fronds, and fuller crowns.  These evergreen palms thrive in full sun and can handle heat or cold exposure. Very low water requirements make this a perfect palm for desert landscapes. Our Piru Queen palms will bring the feel of the tropics and resort living straight to your yard. These beautiful palms can grow up to heights of 35 feet and can have 10-15-foot fronds. Plant in your front yard for a focal point and use nighttime lighting to bring the wow factor!

Pygmy Date Palm – It can be grown in shade, is slow growing, and its roots are non-invasive. This allows the pygmy Date palm to be a fantastic option for planting under larger palms or trees, in between palms, or in a cluster. Its versatility and dwarf growth pattern allow the Pygmy Date palm to be planted in tight spaces; perfect around pools, patios, courtyards, and in pots. This stunning palm features multiple trunks of varying height or it can be grown with just a single trunk; depending on your need. Moon Valley Nurseries has custom grown our Pygmy Date Palms at our farms to ensure that the palms generate thicker trunks and fuller crowns.

With fall just around the corner, we want to keep our yard growing healthy. Now is the time of year when everything on your landscape will need the essential micro and macro-nutrients to help them thrive all year long in our native soils. It doesn't matter what types of plants or trees you have on your landscape as palm trees, desert trees, tropical plants, fruit and citrus, shrubs, and evergreen trees all need these nutrients to grow healthy and strong.

With so many fertilizers on the market, it can be overwhelming trying to find the correct one for your landscape. Fortunately, the nursery pros at Moon Valley Nurseries have eliminated the headaches and guessing game for you by developing highly specialized blends of fertilizer designed to trigger growth responses for our native soils. Our pros have been growing and planting trees and shrubs in our region for more than 40 years. These fertilizers have been time and tested, and our pros use all of these fertilizers on our thousand acre grow yards all year long.

Using the correct fertilizer is vital, and below are a handful of fertilizers that our pros recommend

Supercharged Moon Juice 

When to use: New planting, freeze/frost damage, wind/physical damage, and heat/summer stress

Our Supercharged Moon Juice was designed specifically for growing in the tough soils in our region. Every bottle of Moon Juice contains Furst Liquid technologies which include a proprietary blend of organic enzymes and amino acids to stimulate the growth signals within the plant. It increases nutrient uptake, promotes new growth, helps improve fertilizer efficiency, and it enhances the ability to ward off disease. Supercharged Moon Juice also contains the three most essential micro-nutrients required by nearly every tree and plant. Iron, Manganese, and Zinc is a part of Moon Juice because they are typically deficient in most warm weather soils. Also, thiamine mononitrate (Vitamin B-1) is included for its beneficial effects on new plantings. Purchase here.

Super Palm Juice

When to use: New planting, stressed or yellowing palms, heat stress

Our Super Palm Juice was created to fertilizer every palm in your landscape. Palms have special nutrient requirements, and the formula in our Super Palm Juice provides them with a variety of different major and micro-nutrients including potash, manganese, iron, sulfur, zinc, copper, and boron. This combination of nutrients provides well-balanced nourishment as they grow and mature. Also included in our Super Palm Juice is Furst Liquid technology, which triggers a natural response in the palm to allow it to take in more available nutrients in the soil. This reaction increases fertilizer efficiency, palm health, yield potential, and the overall quality of the palm. When used as directed, Super Palm Juice helps produce thicker, stronger trunks, while maintaining the fronds with a healthy, dark green appearance that results in lush, dense crowns. Purchase here.

Moon Green

When to use: Reduce soil alkalinity, neutralize caliche or tight clay soil, make thick and fuller hedge plants, darker green leaves

Our Moon Green was created as a super easy and safe solution for yellowing trees and plants. Iron Chlorosis is a problem for many homeowners in our region, and Moon Green helps reduce soil alkalinity, neutralize caliche/tight clay type soils, and promotes darker and greener leaves and grass. Infusing Moon Green with Furst liquid brings the critical organic enzymes and amino acids that help stimulate the growth signals within plants. These nutrients help stimulate root hair growth and stronger cell development, allowing water and essential micronutrients to pass through to stems and leaves much more efficiently. Purchase here.

Moon Dust

When to use: Vigorous root growth, rich green leaves, strong new growth

Our Moon Dust Fertilizer is an organic blend developed especially for tough, compact alkaline soils. Moon Dust provides vital nutrients like Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. These are essential elements in a perfect horticultural ratio that will benefit all of the trees and plants in your landscape. Moon Dust helps trees and plants grow faster, stronger and flourish with less water, Citrus and fruit trees produce larger and tastier crops, Flowering shrubs have longer and more abundant bloom cycles and makes bedding plants and groundcovers more vibrant. Purchase here.

Soil & Water Conditioner

When to use: Reduce effects of salt present in water and soil, encourage deeper root growth, loosen the tight/heavy soil

One of the most challenging aspects of growing trees and plants in Arizona is the hard, compact soil and high Ph found in our soil and water. This alkaline condition prevents major and minor nutrients from converting into compounds that are available to living plant roots, and the compact soil prevents proper drainage of water. To counteract the problematic soil in our region, Moon Valley Nurseries has developed a Soil and Water Conditioner that contains two special elements: Sulfur reduces the high Ph by flushing out the excess salt buildup in the root system. The removal of the excess salt creates a soil base that converts nutrients easily. Gypsum is the other special element, and it will loosen soil leading to better drainage and healthier soils. Several applications per year will make a noticeable difference. Purchase here.

Remember to fertilize all your trees and plants monthly from now all the way through the fall. We know your landscape is an important investment for your home and family, and that’s why we’re always here to help – feel free to visit or call our nursery with any of your questions. Neglected trees are the most common cause of death, and healthy trees will withstand the elements much better. Taking just a few moments once a month to feed your trees is the easiest way to protect your investment…you wouldn’t let your pet starve, so why let your trees and plants? Click here to map a nursery location near you.

Labor Day weekend is here! This is a time to gather friends and family, enjoy conversations and laughter, and eat delicious foods in our backyards. BBQ is a big deal this weekend, and so is entertaining. Whether you are hosting the big get-together or going to a friend’s place, having a winning recipe is key. Well, we are here to help.  Previously, we have posted a few recipes that are sure to be a hit – Lime Focused, Refreshing Cocktails, and BBQ Essentials.  Since you are already planning to serve up some yummy dishes, why not join our Labor Day Weekend Contest! The winner of the contest will be awarded a $100 gift card. To enter, simply do the following:

1. Follow @MOONVALLEYNURSERIES on Instagram or like the @MOONVALLEYNURSERY page on Facebook (chances to win are  better if you do both!)
2. Make one of our recipes
3. Snap a picture, tag us, and use the hashtag #MOONVALLEYNURSERYEATS

The contest will go all weekend long, then we will draw a winner on September 4th at noon (PST). So, join the fun! We’d love to see you in your beautiful backyard, enjoying one of our favorite recipes!

We have even compiled a few more tasty recipes that are perfect for this Labor Day weekend:

Spicy Lemon Shrimp Skewers – An easy and healthy grill option! Using lemons from a Moon Valley Nursery lemon tree is sure to amp up the flavor! This light shrimp dish will be a welcome dish among heavier choices. Click here for the recipe.

Mixed Citrus & Arugula Salad – Nothing like a big dose of Vitamin C! Change up your normal green salad and add a trio of citrus.  Nice mixture of peppery greens and acidic citrus. Click here for the recipe.

Summer Fruit Crostata –  Don’t make a traditional pie, switch it up with this rustic tart-type dish. We like to use peaches, nectarines, and plums – but you can swap in whatever you prefer. Click here for a recipe.

Citrus Lemonade – This is a fun twist on the classic lemonade! A must-have for any citrus lover; it contains lemon, orange, and grapefruit – all are available at Moon Valley Nurseries, waiting to enhance any yard and recipe! Click here for recipe.

Let’s see those pictures! Moon Valley Nurseries wishes you a relaxing Labor Day weekend!

Moon Valley Nurseries offers a variety of custom grown citrus and fruit trees ready to thrive in your yard, giving you your own selection of juicy fruits. From lemons to limes, oranges to grapefruits, peaches to plums, and more, Moon Valley has what you need!

Want to add a stunning focal point to your landscape? Or, perhaps, you want to bring a little bit of that tropical vacation feeling to your home. Whatever the reason, palm trees are the perfect choice for adding value to your home as well as creating a beautiful view. Palm trees grow well in our warm Arizona weather and love the sun. We have plenty of that! At Moon Valley Nurseries, we custom grow our palms to thrive in our local Arizona area – meaning they are the best you can find and ready to update your yard. Below are our top five palms that are perfect for landscapes.

Pineapple Palm: Also known as the Canary Island Date Palm, it is characterized by its dense canopy of dark green fronds, a stout trunk, and a pineapple-like crown – where the name Pineapple Palm came from. The distinct diamond pattern on the trunk lends to its majestic look. This low maintenance and slow growing palm loves full sun exposure and warm climates, just like what we have in Arizona! When planted in groups, this palm provides a nice shady spot. No matter the size you get, this palm is sure to bring a majestic presence to any landscape. Pineapple Palms will add long-lasting character to any landscape.

Date Palm: A great addition to any landscape, Date Palms bring the look and feel of the upscale resort. Ours are certified disease free. We love planting them around swimming pools, where their reflection can be admired in smooth water. Uplighting creates a stunning silhouette against light colored walls and adds nighttime drama in any landscape. We also love to plant these palms in groupings and line them up along a long driveway or create regal accents by using staggered heights.  Date Palms are also the perfect specimen for landscaping larger areas. Planting them in groups and rows creates a cool canopy of shade, a welcome relief from the sweltering heat and harsh sun.

Mediterranean Fan Palm: The Mediterranean Fan Palm features blueish gray, fan-shaped fronds and a unique multi-trunk vertical growth – making it one of the best landscape palms for night lighting! It is considered the hardiest of all palms.  It is a low maintenance palm, requiring minimal cleanup; so, place a few around swimming pools or spas. And since they are slow growing, they will rarely out-grow their space. We like to use Mediterranean Fan Palms as fillers underneath larger palms or as a tropical barrier or hedge. These palms are also a great choice for containers, too. A Mediterranean Fan Palm is a must-have for anyone with a tropical or Mediterranean-themed yard!

Piru Queen Palm: Our Piru Queen Palms are grown from superior seedlings with better genetic traits, so you get the hardiest palm you can find. These palms are heat tolerant and feature dark green palm fronds and a fuller crown which provides shade. These are low-maintenance trees that can fit into any landscape style. They are also prized for having a look that complements all styles and types of landscapes. Add curb appeal by planting them in the front yard as a focal point or lining a driveway, creating a grand entrance. Our Queen Palm is perfect to create a tropical paradise around pools and backyards. Make them even more stunning by adding nighttime lighting!

Pygmy Palm: This is the palm to use to fill those tight spaces in your landscape. This versatile dwarf palm has a slow growth rate and can develop into a small sized palm topped with a dense head of fine-textured, curving, bright green pinnate leaves. A fantastic option to add a tropical feel to your yard. The Pygmy Date Palm is our most popular selling dwarf palm and for good reason. This fine, feather leaf palm can grow both indoors and outdoors. Pygmy Palms can grow in a variety of different soils, is drought tolerant once mature, and requires low to moderate water use once established.

As fall gets closer, it’s time to start planning for the fall planting season. Visit your nearest Moon Valley Nursery location to select the perfect palms for your landscape and book your fall planting date! While you’re there, don’t forget to pick up some Super Palm Juice to help your new or existing palms to flourish in the fall season and recover from the summer stressors.

This summer has been a hot one and your plants need some help recovering and getting ready for fall! After many 100+ days and monsoons, our landscapes needs a little loving. How can we help our yards recover? We have asked our nursery professionals and have compiled the top three ways to help our trees and plants while also getting ready for fall.

1. Moon Juice and Soil & Water Conditioner

Are your plants looking a bit yellow? Has the heat gotten the better of your landscape materials? That is what happens here in Arizona. The best way to help combat the heat stressors and help your trees and plants grow healthy is to use fertilizers. Fertilizers help trees, palms, and other plants grow to their full potential and to grow healthy – healthy trees and plants will handle the changing weather much better than those still weak from heat stress. In Arizona, the soil is higher in salt, by using Moon Valley Nursery’s Soil & Water Conditioner, you can help prime your soil to provide more water to your plants. This conditioner is a great help in making sure your trees and plants get as much nutrients possible. Our Super Charged Moon Juice is specially formulated with Furst liquid technology including a blend of organic enzymes and amino acids that help stimulate the growth of trees and plants, along with new root hair growth which helps plants increase moisture intake. Create a thriving, healthy landscape – fertilize your trees, palms, and plants.

2. Watering

Watering is one of the most important aspects of keeping trees and plants healthy. You want to make sure you are watering the proper amount. As we transition from summer to fall, the weather will change. Soon, we will have shorter days and cooler nights; so, we want to be careful that we are not over-watering. We will want to also transition our water systems from summer to fall settings as it starts to cool down. While it is still hot, early mornings or late evenings are the best times for watering. How much you should water and how often depends on the size and age of the tree, palm, or plant. Click here to see our watering chart for mature trees (2+ years since planting); or, click here for our watering chart for newly planted trees. Don’t forget that proper watering is the deep and thorough saturation of the entire root system and allowing it to dry between waterings.

3. Tree Care

Monsoon season can be a rough time on our trees, palms, and plants. Now that monsoon season is almost to a close, it’s a perfect time to clean up the damaged trees and make way for new growth. Our Tree Care team of professionals is ready to help you! Our team is staffed with ISA Certified Arborists and Certified Nursery Professionals. They guarantee the highest quality of services for your trees and landscapes. Whether you need safe tree or stump removal, trimming, or other tree care, we can do it. Let us do all the work of cleaning up the monsoon mess and clearing space for the new growth of the fall season. For an removal estimate, click here.

Even though we still have warm weather, it’s time to get ready for fall. By applying fertilizer and watering correctly, your trees and plants will recover from our tough Arizona summer – they will regain their greenness. Our Tree Care team is ready to help you clean up from the summer; you can remove any fallen or damage trees from the monsoon season, you can clear the way for new growth. Now is the time to plan for fall – bring some more color to your landscape. At Moon Valley Nurseries, we offer a variety of trees and plants that will bring a lovely variety of colors and textures to your home, perfect for fall. Take advantage of our current Labor Day deal and get your yard looking great again.

No matter how hard your landscape was affected by the hot Arizona summer, Moon Valley Nurseries is here to help. Visit your nearest Moon Valley Nursery location and see what we have to offer for yourself!

The perfect yard starts with the perfect plan. Let’s think about this for a second. No one wants to have an ugly or inadequate landscape. It makes your home, your most valued possession, look bad; it certainly won’t help you with home value and forget about curb appeal! So, let’s go back to that first statement again – the perfect yard starts with the perfect plan!

Completing a landscaping project can be overwhelming without doubt, especially doing it by yourself. Where to start? What to do first? Who to call? These are the most common questions nursery pros get in the landscape industry. We’ll break these down for you and get you started on that perfect yard.

The first thing you should do to get started with your perfect yard is to take some photos and general measurements of the area you are needing to have landscaped. If this is the backyard, front yard, side yard, around a patio or a pool, or anywhere else, you need to have a starting point for the plans; measurements and photos are crucial for this. Once you have done some homework, now it is time to contact a nursery pro.

Using a reputable nursery pro like those found at Moon Valley Nurseries is a great place to start. All our nursery pros have gone through extensive training to be able to provide our customers with the best service and trees available. Using a nursery pro that understands proper placement and who works with you to accomplish your goals is the first step to success.

The next step is to start thinking of what you want the finished product to look like and, more importantly, how you want your landscape to function. Are you trying to create privacy from a nosey neighbor, creating a tropical backyard for resort-style staycations, do you need to reduce the cooling cost of your home in the summer, or are you just trying to add some pop and curb appeal?

Once this is figured out, speak with your nursery pro and they will begin to get your dreams working into a reality. Nursery pros at Moon Valley Nurseries are trained experts in design and are extremely capable of taking your landscape to the next level. They will help with choosing the perfect trees and shrubs for your landscape and putting the correct tree in the correct space. Once your nursery pro has gotten everything figured out for you with creating a design and selected the perfect trees for their new homes in your landscape, the next step is to schedule a time to have expert planters come out and install everything perfectly.

Our expertly trained staff of nursery pros and installation experts will give you the exclusive Moon Valley Nurseries VIP experience. From the moment you step into the store or make that first call, you’ll notice the Moon Valley Difference.

The Best Plants for Pool Landscaping

We all know the importance of landscaping around our homes; it increases property value and brings a personal touch to each home. But what about landscaping around your pool? It is just as beneficial.  Not only does it add more property value, it can also cool down the water within a pool by shade provided by trees. Refreshing!

Summer is the perfect time to update your pool area and relish the relief from the summer sun. By planting in the summer, your new landscape will be established before the colder winter weather. Don’t want to dig and plant in the summer? No problem, we have you covered! Moon Valley Nurseries has seasoned planting crews that work year-round and will make sure your new pool paradise is perfect.

No matter the style or design you have in mind, we can do it. Our nursery pros can help you select all the right palms, trees, and plants for your dream look. Moon Valley Nurseries custom-grows all our inventory from our own local grow farms, to ensure that your perfect palm, tree, or plant will thrive in the Arizona area. So, why not have yourself a stay-cation and enjoy your own personal oasis! Keep on reading to see what our pros suggest for landscaping around a pool.

Palm Trees

Want the look of a resort or tropical oasis? Palm trees it is! Palm trees are great choices for around a pool since they are very clean, there is very little to no litter. Another aspect worth mentioning is that palms have small fibrous root systems, so the roots won’t crack concrete surrounding the pool. Piru Queen Palms have the go-to tropical look that we all love! This durable evergreen palm has classic feathery, glossy, bright green palm fronds that provide much needed shade. Pygmy Date Palms are ideal for tight spaces or as a container palm. We love to use these to fill in under taller palms and trees. Mexican Fan Palms have large, fan-shaped, bright green fronds with shorter leafstalks that feature a red streak on the underside, adding interest to any landscape. These are perfect palms for tropical or resort style landscapes. Sago Palms are smaller in size and have a slow growth rate, make it an ideal choice for any landscape around your pool. We like to use them under bigger palms and trees as well as planted in pots.

Shade Trees

Shade is a welcome addition to any pool retreat, especially in 100+ degree weather we so often get in Arizona. By planting a shade tree or two around a pool, you can naturally cool down the water; making it even more refreshing! One of our absolute favorites is the Ficus due to its versatility and ample amounts of shade. This evergreen, single or multi-trunk tree features white bark and lush green foliage that goes well with variety of landscape styles, so feel free to plant with palms.  Evergreen Ash, or Shamel Ash, is a large, fast-growing shade tree that is easy to grow and maintain. It has classic, large-leaved, green foliage that creates ample shade and is a staple in any landscape. Fruitless Olive trees will bring the look of the Mediterranean to any home. This drought tolerant evergreen tree is a great focal point around a pool and will provide plenty of shade to enjoy.

Picture-Perfect Additions

There is more to landscapes than just trees and palms. Want to add color and texture? Moon Valley Nurseries has what you need. Birds of Paradise are great for pops of color around a pool. This large, tropical, ornamental plant produces eye-catching bright orange and blue flowers that add a tropical splash to any landscape. We also have Tecoma shrub species that are great for adding color and for planting in the summer. These shrubs bloom trumpet-shaped flowers that are sure to bring the right touch of character to your landscape – we carry Bells of Fire and Orange Jubilee. Another option for color are our varieties of Ruellia. Ruellia is a very easy-to-grow shrub with flowers that constantly bloom. Depending on the variety, bloom colors range from purple, white, and pink. Add a few succulents to create the ideal Arizona look! Succulents are great additions to poolside landscapes due to their low maintenance needs and low water use. And, with varieties of colors and textures, what’s not to love? We carry a large selection of aloes, agaves, and so many more types of succulents.  

Want to see more? Visit your local Moon Valley Nurseries to see even more options for landscaping around your pool. Our nursery pros can help you select trees, palms, and plants and design your perfect poolside getaway. Let us help make your stay-cation dreams come true!

Landscaping in August may seem challenging. After all, going outside can feel like you’ve just stepped inside an oven. However, this is a great time to enjoy your trees and plants that attract birds and butterflies to your yard. After all, they don’t seem to mind the heat! How about your trees and plants? The extreme Arizona heat can be tough on some of our landscape material. There is some good news on the horizon. Yes, cooler days will be here before we know it! However, until those better weather days arrive, we still need to pay close attention to our landscape.

Moon Valley Nurseries is a local Phoenix tree nursery that has been around for over 20 years, so we know how to handle the heat better. Our nursery pros live and work here, too, and have the perfect tips and suggestions for a healthy landscape during the grueling month of August. Read our tips, and most importantly, hang in there!

Tips for a Healthy Landscape

Watering: We have probably noticed the Monsoon clouds building and the humidity soaring. The climate in the Phoenix area can change in minutes. The temperatures are going to be high, so we will want to apply water to our landscape. Read about our Best Watering Practices by clicking on this link – it can answer some of the most common questions, such as “how much water do I use” and “how often do I water.”

Trunk Protection: With so much sunlight in the summer, getting sunburnt is more prevalent this time of the year. We can prevent sunburn by applying sunscreen on our bodies, and recover with some Aloe Vera. What about the trees in our landscape? Young trees, particularly citrus, need some protection. We can provide protection and prevent sunburn to our trees with a Protective Tree Wrap. We also recommend staking any age tree to provide stability when the high winds arrive.

Fertilize: The material in our landscape is dealing with the stressors of August. All those higher temperatures are causing the trees and shrubs in our landscape to show stress. Moon Juice can help with the heat stress, and when applying it, can also prime the roots for fall feeding.

Lawn Care: This is the right time to raise the mowing height to 2.5 to 3-inches. For our Bermuda lawns, we will want to water 1-inch per week. We can also give our lawns a boost with our fast-acting Moon Royale turf fertilizer. For our palms showing stress, we will want to apply our Super Palm Juice.

Mulch: Make sure to check the mulch around your plants. If you notice there is little or no mulch, be sure to put in a 3 to 4-inch layer, which can conserve moisture. Mulch any area that is receiving direct sunlight on the dirt. Mulching allows the roots to keep moist and cool.

Garden: This is the time to start your fall vegetable garden. Plant vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Chinese cabbage, carrots, collards, lettuce, and other cool-season vegetables. We will also want to remove any old vegetable plants that have stopped producing; doing this will help to eliminate pests and diseases from your garden. Make sure to stay on top of weeds, remove them, and do not let them go to seed.

Recommended Trees for the Month of August

We can plant trees that can liven up our Arizona landscape. Besides beautifying our yards, these trees can also provide lots of shade that can bring some relief during these long and hot, sun-filled days!

Indian Laurel (Ficus): It’s summertime, and Indian Laurel trees can come to the rescue in more ways than one. This Ficus tree is valued by many for its capability to provide shade. These evergreen trees thrive in a location with plenty of full sun exposure. People throughout Phoenix appreciate the wide-spreading canopy and lush green foliage that adds color and plenty of shade to landscapes. Buy a few mature specimens and have them properly placed around your home so that they can help reduce the temperatures inside your home. Do you want to make your yard much more private? Our Indian Laurel Columns are ideal evergreens for creating privacy. Line them up along a fence line and get ready to enjoy a yard without nosy neighbors getting into your business. And, those with homes near busy streets are sure to appreciate the way that these trees create a natural sound barrier. These beauties can handle the summer heat, too!     

Tipu (Tipuana tipu): If you are looking for one of the best shade trees you can find, look no further than the Tipu tree. These are colorful flowering trees, and mature specimens can provide lots of shade. These tropical-looking trees grow fast, feature feathery, bright bluish-green foliage, and have a high canopy that offers a beautiful resting spot to escape the sun. They also put on a show when the golden blooms arrive, covering the tree in vibrant hues that transform the look of any environment. These are ideal trees for our environment as they thrive in intense desert heat. We can plant Tipuana tipu trees as street trees, near the patio, and in any place where a beautiful shade tree is desired!

Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia): Bring a splash of vibrant color to your landscape – plant Crape Myrtle trees! We custom-grow the best-quality Lagerstroemia trees with flower colors that range from dark purple, dark pink, white, and red! They bloom from late spring through the summer, creating a happier landscape that can help us during the summer. They please the eyes year-round thanks to its attractive bark and fall color. These stylish, smaller trees are the perfect size for any landscape. Crape Myrtle trees love fun sun exposure, and they are drought-tolerant once established. We are the grower that only grows the best Lagerstroemia for our area – ours are mildew resistant varieties!

Piru Queen Palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana): Every backyard oasis needs a Piru Queen Palm. Our Queen Palm is used to create a tropical paradise, complete with shade! These palms are heat tolerant and feature dark green palm fronds that add a calming vibe to any environment. These are low-maintenance trees that can fit into any landscape style. They are also prized for having a look that complements all types of architectural homes and buildings. Add curb appeal by planting them in the front yard. Our Piru Queen Palms are grown from superior seedlings with better genetic traits, so you get the hardiest palm you will find.

Vitex (Vitex agnus-castus): Summertime is the right time for Vitex. Get ready for the butterflies. During the summer months, it puts on a show as the purple blooms arrive at every growth tip. This purple delight is the perfect size for any landscape. It features turning, twisting trunks and a statuesque appearance that makes it an excellent choice to light up with nighttime landscape lighting. In addition to its bright flowers are its long, dark grayish-green leaves that make them a favorite for yards in Arizona. We like to plant them as a single lawn specimen, in rows along a border or driveway, and as a small patio tree. Easy to grow and maintain. Plus, it is very drought-tolerant once established.

Allow the Moon Valley Nurseries planting crew to do all the work! We offer free planting on mature specimen trees and larger so that it cannot be any easier to have the yard you have always wanted, no matter what season we are in.

It’s summer, and this can be a stressful time for trees and plants. After all, the days are longer and the sun is stronger. Here in Arizona, it’s well over 100 degrees outside. In fact, it seems like a hot air blow-dryer is on full force for three months straight. No doubt that this time of the year can be tough on the material in our landscape. Heat stress is no joke for humans, as well as trees and plants in our landscape.

So, what is the best time to fertilize in the summer? Just like watering, we will want to fertilize the trees and plants that need it early in the morning. Fertilizing early in the morning can reduce the possibility of burning plants. Be sure to read the label and apply it correctly.

All hope is not lost. Before we know it, we’ll have that beautiful weather once again. But, let’s talk about the weather we are having right now and its effect on our landscape. If your trees and plants are showing the signs of stress, we have a solution – Super Charged Moon Juice! Our Moon Juice fertilizer is easy to use and does wonders for trees and plants.

Use Moon Juice Immediately After:

• New Transplanting
• Heat Stress
• Freeze or Wind Damage
• Any other stressful event

Why Moon Juice is Beneficial to Plants and Trees in the Summer and All Year Long!

Using a fertilizer such as our Super Charged Moon Juice can ensure that your trees and plants stay healthy and protected from heat stress all summer long. In warm weather soils, the earth is deficient in the three most important micronutrients that every tree and plant needs – Iron, Manganese, and Zinc. Here’s where the Moon Juice benefits kick in. This fertilizer contains these three most important micronutrients, with the added nutrient of thiamine mononitrate (Vitamin B1), which has beneficial effects on new plantings.

Moon Juice is formulated with our proprietary Furst liquid technology, which helps to maximize the potential of the trees in your landscape. This proprietary formula includes a blend of organic enzymes and amino acids which can stimulate the growth signals within the plant. It can also help with nutrient uptake and it enhances the plant’s ability to ward off disease. And, one of the most important things for this time of the year – it helps trees and plants recover from the stresses that are caused by extreme heat!

What makes Moon Juice even better is that it is so easy to use. Simply mix with water and apply it to the root area. Make sure to read the easy-to-follow instructions as application rates vary by the size and type of plant. Remember to always water your trees and plants thoroughly after applying any fertilizer and nutrients.

Fertilizer for Lawns

Summer can be the toughest time for our lawns. Besides the heat taking its toll on our beautiful lawn, we also need to deal with insects. We can protect our lawns from the summertime heat and insects in so that we can continue entertaining our guests in the backyard. Encourage new growth when you apply fertilizer. Do not over-fertilize and be sure to apply the fertilizer to the grass in the evening or early in the morning.

Don’t Forget to Add Mulch

People tend to overlook the benefits of mulch. Mulching is an excellent way to care for your trees and plants in the summer. First, it can help keep the soil cool and reduce surface evaporation. Reducing surface evaporation increases the soils ability to retain moisture; doing this can cut down on the amount of watering you need to do. Eventually, mulch breaks down, which will then provide nutrients to the soil. Last, but not least, mulch can keep weeds to a minimum. Less weeds in the landscape is always going to be good news. After all, no one likes to pull weeds in the summer!

Don’t let the heat of the summer keep you from enjoying a thriving landscape. Visit your nearest Moon Valley Nurseries location and pick up some Super Charged Moon Juice! Also, be sure to check out our entire line of beneficial fertilizers for summer, fall, winter, and spring. We have got you covered for all your landscape beautification needs.