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ROC #343460

AMWUA 2024 Desert Plant Guide

Arizona Plant Library

207+ desert-proven plants from the AMWUA “Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert” guide. Filter by style, water needs, sun exposure, and more.

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Showing 207 of 207 plants — page 1 of 9

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tree

Mulga

Acacia aneura

A compact Australian tree with striking yellow rod-shaped blooms, ideal for small desert patios and tight spaces.

High Waterfull sunPool Safe

tree

Leatherleaf Acacia

Acacia craspedocarpa

A petite Australian acacia with thick leathery foliage and cheerful yellow puffball blooms, perfect for containers and small gardens.

Low Waterfull sunPool Safe

tree

Shoestring Acacia

Acacia stenophylla

A graceful weeping tree with long shoestring-like leaves and excellent drought tolerance, ideal for privacy screening.

Very Low Waterfull sunPool Safe

tree

Willow Acacia

Acacia salicina

A narrow, upright tree with fragrant cream puffball flowers and graceful willow-like foliage, perfect for tight screening spaces.

Low Waterfull sunPool Safe

tree

Anacacho Orchid Tree

Bauhinia lunarioides

A charming small tree with delicate orchid-like white and pink blooms that draw bees and butterflies to the garden.

Low Waterfull sunPool Safe

palm

Mexican Blue Palm

Brahea armata

A showstopping palm with silvery-blue fan fronds and spectacular cascading cream flower garlands in summer.

Low Waterfull sun

tree

Floss Silk Tree

Ceiba speciosa

A stunning tropical tree that erupts in spectacular pink-red blooms in fall, with a distinctive thorny green trunk.

Moderate Waterfull sun

tree

Native

Canyon Hackberry

Celtis reticulata

A tough native shade tree prized for its wildlife value, producing berries that attract birds and mammals.

Moderate Waterfull sunPool Safe

tree

Ghost Gum

Corymbia papuana

A tall, elegant tree with luminous white bark that glows in the landscape, creating a dramatic year-round focal point.

Low Waterfull sunPool Safe

palm

Mediterranean Fan Palm

Chamaerops humilis

A compact, multi-trunk fan palm that brings instant oasis charm to courtyards and pool areas.

Moderate Waterfull sun

tree

Native

Desert Willow

Chilopsis linearis

A graceful native tree with orchid-like blooms in white, pink, or purple that attract hummingbirds throughout the warm season.

Low Waterfull sunPool Safe

tree

Texas Mountain Laurel

Dermatophyllum secundiflorum

A slow-growing evergreen tree with intensely fragrant purple blooms that smell like grape soda, a true desert garden gem.

Low Waterfull sunPool Safe

tree

Texas Ebony

Ebenopsis ebano

A rugged, dark-foliaged evergreen with fragrant cream-yellow blooms and exceptional drought tolerance.

Very Low Waterfull sun

tree

Mexican Bird of Paradise

Erythrostemon mexicanus

A prolific bloomer with showy yellow flower spikes nearly year-round, irresistible to hummingbirds.

Moderate Waterfull sunPool Safe

tree

Coolibah

Eucalyptus microtheca

A tough Australian shade tree that thrives on minimal water, providing a broad canopy in the hottest desert conditions.

Very Low Waterfull sunPool Safe

tree

Native

Kidneywood

Eysenhardtia orthocarpa

A fragrant native tree with delicate white flower spikes that attract a cloud of bees and butterflies in summer.

Low Waterfull sunPool Safe

tree

Native

Feather Bush

Lysiloma watsonii

A lush native tree with feathery, fern-like foliage that gives a tropical feel to Sonoran Desert gardens.

Low Waterfull sunPool Safe

tree

Mexican Ebony

Havardia mexicana

A handsome shade tree with dark, dense foliage and soft cream puffball blooms in spring.

Low Waterfull sun

tree

Tenaza

Havardia pallens

A narrow, upright tree with sweetly fragrant cream puffball flowers and a graceful canopy.

Low Waterfull sun

tree

Palo Blanco

Mariosousa willardiana

A sculptural tree with striking white peeling bark that creates an elegant, luminous presence in the desert landscape.

Very Low Waterfull sunPool Safe

tree

Fruitless Olive

Olea europaea

A classic Mediterranean shade tree with silvery foliage and a sculptural trunk, bred to produce no messy fruit.

Low Waterfull sunPool Safe

tree

Native

Ironwood

Olneya tesota

A keystone species of the Sonoran Desert, treasured for its dusty lavender blooms and extraordinary longevity.

Very Low Waterfull sun

tree

Native

Blue Palo Verde

Parkinsonia florida

Arizona's beloved state tree with blue-green photosynthetic bark and a dazzling canopy of bright yellow spring blooms.

Very Low Waterfull sun

tree

Hybrid Palo Verde

Parkinsonia hybrid

A thornless palo verde hybrid combining the best traits of native species with an urban-friendly, clean form.

Very Low Waterfull sunPool Safe

...

Plant data sourced from the 2024 AMWUA “Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert” guide (amwua.org/plants) and UA Cooperative Extension poolside guidelines (AZ1058). All plants field-tested for Phoenix low-desert conditions (USDA Zone 9b–10a).