Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Sunday - November 17, 2013
From: Phoenix, AZ
Region: Southwest
Topic: Trees
Title: Evergreen tree for Phoenix
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I need your help. I'm looking for a pretty evergreen tree for my small front yard in Phoenix. One that is not horribly messy and doesn't get wider that 10 - 15 ft. I want to be able to decorate at Christmas time. Would love flowers and prefer dense canopies but will have grass underneath. As you can tell, I don't know what I'm doing. My mom had the green thumb in my family but I lost her last year and don't have anyone to guide me. I know you are very busy but your guidance would be so appreciated.ANSWER:
Mr. Smarty Plants Isn't able to meet all your criteria in one tree; however, here are several evergreen trees that are native to your region that meet several of them and should do well there.
Arbutus arizonica (Arizona madrone) Here is more information and photos from Southwest Environmental Information Network and from Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation.
Hesperocyparis arizonica (Arizona cypress) Here is more information from Virginia Tech.
Juniperus deppeana (Alligator juniper) Here is more information from Texas A&M Aggie Horticulture.
Juniperus scopulorum (Rocky mountain juniper) Here is more information about a cultivar called 'Wichita blue' from Missouri Botanical Garden.
Olneya tesota (Desert ironwood) Here is more information from Blue Planet Biomes and from University of Arizona Pima County Cooperative Extension.
Pinus edulis (Colorado pinyon pine) Here is more information from Southwest Colorado Wildflowers.
Lysiloma watsonii (Desert fern) Here is more information from Arizona State University and from Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
From the Image Gallery
More Trees Questions
Tilling for grass under old live oak in San Antonio
April 15, 2012 - Hi,
I have a 250+ year old Texas Live Oak. As usual, the lawn under the tree, after 18 years needs to be redone. MY QUESTION: to put down new sod the lawn company needs to till the soil about 4 t...
view the full question and answer
Smaller trees for limited space in yard in Austin
March 29, 2011 - Follow up to "I have a choice of three shade trees from the city of Austin. They are Live Oak, Elm, Cedar. Although I am happy to have a free tree, I think the choices are not the best for my home. I...
view the full question and answer
Transplanting yaupon (Ilex vomitoria) trees, concern about cultivars
February 06, 2008 - I would like to place some yaupon in the perimeter areas of my yard. I own other rural property that has an abundance of yaupon and was considering trying to transplant some small bushes. Is yaupon ...
view the full question and answer
Fenceline trees for Northwest Austin
January 14, 2011 - We live in Northwest Austin, near 183 and Anderson Mill. Our neighbor recently cut down all their trees in their backyard, which provided nice afternoon shade for us. We would like to re-plant some ...
view the full question and answer
Protecting a new patio from oak roots
September 01, 2008 - Hello,
I have just formed up for a new patio. I have a Live Oak tree about 2' away from the patio. It has a trunk diameter of about 10", I believe 20-25 years old. Problem: I have 2 large roots in ...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |