Full Sun
Medium WaterMature Size: 30’X 20’
This is one of the oldest known trees on earth, and this resilience and adaptability might explain how a tree normally found in the high mountains of the West grows so well thousands of feet lower in elevation and many degrees hotter in temperature. Short- needled and slow-growing, the resinous aroma of Bristlecone Pine fits smaller garden spaces with grace and limited water.
Full SunMedium WaterMature Size: 25-60’X 10-40’depending on variety
Blooming Season: Spring
Fruit: All female varieties have blue- or copper-colored berries
Although some may argue that there are already enough Junipers in New Mexico gardens, it is important to note that these adaptable conifers are the survivors of the transition from water-soaked landscapes to more sustainable ones. We are lucky to have many new xeric options, but the pollenless female forms of Juniper provide food and cover for songbirds as well as interesting foliage color and texture.
Full SunMedium WaterMature Size: 15-25’X 10-15’
Blooming Season: July-August
Flower Color: Blue-lavender.
Multibranched, spreading, large shrub or small tree that features distinctive dark green palmate leaves. Its low, open form can be pruned to grow more treelike to create a small and lovely shade tree. In mid-summer a profusion of 7-inch-long blue flower spikes creates a sweet aroma that attracts bumblebees. Does best in hot areas.
Full SunMedium WaterMature Size: 40’X 40’
So called because of the patchy mosaic bark on their trunks as they mature, Lacebark Elms are moderate in size and growth rate with a majestic form that offers plenty of cool shade. With elm beetle-resistant leaves and no tendency to form a forest of weedy seedlings, this elm is a long-lived asset best planted in broad, shallow basins that capture rainwater.
Full SunMedium WaterMature Size: 40’X 30’
Blooming Season: Mid- to Late-Spring
Flower Color: Reddish
A wonderful shade tree when mature, the Chinese Pistache can handle hot, dry desert con- ditions because it roots deeply. Its glossy dark leaves put on a delightful fall show turning bright gold, orange or crimson. (Wait to se- lect your tree in autumn if red foliage is important.) The pea-sized red fruit of female trees add color in fall. Young trees may have a slightly awkward form when young, but the canopy fills out gracefully as trees mature. Tolerant of virtually all soil conditions except soggy clay.
Full SunMedium WaterMature 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.