Full Sun

Medium Water

Mature Size: 25-60’X 15-60’

Many species of oak grow well through- out most of New Mexico. Gambel Oak (Quercus gambelii) is a moderate-sized tree that’s native from Southern Colorado through the canyons and foothills of New Mexico and Arizona. It grows slowly to 30 feet tall, sometimes taller when water is available. Most other oaks grow taller, including Valley Oak (Quercus lobata), which can reach 40 feet, and Shumard  Oak (Quercus shumardii), which can reach 60 feet with a 60-foot spread. Most oaks have lobed leaves that turn from dark green to yellow-orange in the fall.

Full Sun

Medium Water

Mature Size: 25’X 25’
Blooming Season: Early summer
Flower Color: Yellow

The dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy of Golden Raintree is dense enough to substantially cool the air in summer, but bright enough to allow a wide range of groundcovers to share space and water below. Rust-colored paper lantern seed husks add contrast to the yellow gold fall foliage. This is a great tree for shading a driveway or streetside parking.

Full Sun

Rainwater Only

Mature Size: 8-20’X 10-15’
Blooming Season: May-July
Flower Color: Pale pink to rosy purple

A sturdy, heat-loving tree that’s native to warm deserts, especially in arroyos. Grows well in New Mexico’s lowlands, but may not be suited to elevations above 5,500 or where its cold hardiness is challenged. Compact and shrubby in appearance, its leaves are long and thin and its profusion of pink trumpet-shaped flowers puts on quite a show. Long, pencil-like pods give the tree year-round character. Fast growing as a young tree, its growth slows as it matures.

Full Sun

Rainwater Only

Mature Size: 15-30’X 10-25’
Blooming Season: May-June
Flower Color: Yellow

The various species of mesquite are trees synonymous with the desert Southwest. All are slow to leaf out in the spring, but they make up for their tardiness with fragrant yellow flowers. Small, blue-green leaflets give Velvet Mesquite a soft, lacy appearance. Flat, narrow bean pods hang from the tree throughout the summer. Its limited cold-hardiness makes it a good choice where average annual minimum temperatures stay above 5 degrees F; other mesquites found in the Plant List are about 5 degrees F more cold hardy.

Full Sun, Part Shade

Medium Water

Mature Size: 12-18’X 10-15’
Blooming Season: Early Spring
Flower Color: Yellow-Green

Depending upon your landscape needs and preferences, this native species can be pruned upward to form an attractive small tree or left in its natural, rounded shrub-like shape. The bark of its multiple trunks is a smooth pale gray, and its branches fork at odd, interesting angles. Clusters of small yellowish green flowers appear early in spring; female plants produce small fruits that attract song-birds. Tolerates drought, but does best when roots receive a deep soaking once or twice a month.