What are the best deciduous shade trees for Arizona?

In the heat of summer, there’s nothing like the protection that beautiful shade trees offer against the blazing Arizona sun. If you’re looking for trees for your yard, though, it’s important to consider factors like drought tolerance and whether the trees you’re considering are invasive. The best trees to plant in your Arizona yard are native species, low-maintenance, long-lived, and tall. Let’s take a look at some good examples!

• Chinese Pistache grows slowly and reaches 35 feet, on average. This water-wise tree has an extremely high drought tolerance, and beautiful foliage that changes from green to bright orange red in the fall. Thornless and non-invasive, these trees are unlikely to cause allergies, so they’re ideal for most yards in Arizona. The Chinese Pistache can be planted at any point during the year.
• The Shumard Oak is a popular shade tree in western states. Fast growing and hardy, it features a large trunk and a wide spreading canopy and grows to a medium or large size. This tree is water-wise and tolerant of heat and cold, and in the fall its leaves turn a stunning red.
• Vitex trees produce blossoms that attract butterflies. These smaller trees have long, dark grayish-green leaves and blue/purple blooms, and they have multiple trunks that twist and give them character. Water-wise and easy to grow, they thrive in the heat of full sunlight.
• The Arizona Ash thrives in full sun. This fast-growing shade tree is very popular, largely because it’s cold-hardy, heat and drought-resistant, and looks lush and gorgeous even when conditions are not ideal. This native species has velvety, gray-green leaves, provides a wide shade canopy, and are typically 25 to 30 feet tall

Whether you have questions or you know exactly what kind of trees you want, you’ll find what you need at Moon Valley Nurseries. Moon Valley Nurseries started as a small neighborhood nursery garden center, 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 ground cover, 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 us at (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.