Tenaza
Havardia pallens
A narrow, upright tree with sweetly fragrant cream puffball flowers and a graceful canopy.
Hardy to about 15-18°F in low and mid desert; frost hardy once established.
AMWUA Notes
Low water; a narrow, fragrant screen tree that is very drought tolerant.
Care Guide
Deep-soak every 2-3 weeks in summer once established; drought tolerant.
Wear gloves for the thorns; train to an upright single or few-trunk form and thin for shape in late winter.
No fertilizer needed; a nitrogen-fixing legume.
Essentially pest-free.
Fragrant cream puffball flowers in summer after rains, often reblooming; semi-deciduous with pod litter.
Soil, Feeding & Propagation
Well-draining native, rocky, or decomposed-granite soil; tolerates caliche and alkaline pH 7.5–8.5
Needs well-drained soil.
None — thrives in lean desert soil without fertilizer.
Grown from scarified seed; establishes from nursery transplants
10–12 ft
Deep, non-aggressive roots; keep 8–10 ft from pools and walkways for thorns and pod litter
Placement Tips
- •Narrow upright form about 12 ft wide, good for tight screens and courtyards.
- •Medium thorns, so keep it 8-10 ft from walkways and pools.
- •Fragrant blooms are lovely near seating, but the allergen pollen makes it a poor choice for allergy-sensitive patios.
- •Full sun; plant in a row for a narrow privacy screen.
Features
Best Uses
Companion Plants
Quick Stats
Design Styles
Include in Your Project
Love Tenaza? Our landscape team sources from wholesale nurseries and can incorporate it into your design.
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Use this care guide to maintain your Tenaza. Questions about your landscape? Reach out anytime.
Data from 2024 AMWUA “Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert” guide.