Arizona Planting Zone Chart

Arizona consists of Zone 7, 8, and 9. The low desert of the Phoenix valley is zone 9 and the outlying desert areas are zone 8/9. The mountains are zone 7.

Featured Tree: Desert Willow

The Desert Willow tree grows to be 15' - 25' feet in height and has a spread of about 10' at full maturity. This tree grows at a medium growth rate. (13-24" of growth per year) and does well in full sun. The Desert Willow grows in acidic, alkaline, drought tolerant, loamy, sandy, well drained, wide range, clay soils(perfect for Arizona desert trees) and cannot grow in wet or heavy soils. The Desert Willow has a rounded, spreading or horizontal shape. The leaves are long dark green leaves. The blooms are fragrant and pink and it flowers from late spring into fall through the summer. It produces a ten-inch long seed-pod that persist throughout the winter. The Desert-willow requires little maintenance and produces flowers at peak season. It should be grown in full sun and is extremely drought-tolerant. While the trees will grow better with adequate moisture, they will not tolerate over-watering. The multi-trunked, well branched habit of growth and thick growth make Desert-Willow well suited for a wide screen or tall hedge. Groups can be planted in a large-scale landscape for a splash of color. The seeds of the Desert Willow are eaten by wildlife and the flowers often attract hummingbirds. It can provide a nesting site for desert birds and ground cover for other animals. The branches of the Desert-willow have been used to make thatch roofs. This tree resembles a willow in appearance, but is not related.

Winter freezing temps means frostbitten plants

Winter is upon us - even in Arizona. We usually have several nights of below freezing temperatures here in the Phoenix valley. Those of us further out in the outlying areas get even colder. Remember, our desert plants need to be protected from the freezing nights. Most cacti will manage just fine but the more tropical plants need to be covered to protect them. Any new plantings should also be covered. These are too delicate to make it through a major frost. Plants like Hibiscus, Aloe, Morning Glory, some Palms, Bougainvillia, Lantana and most flowering plants are susceptible to frost bite and can die.
When covering your plants, just put an old sheet or towels over the plants. Make sure you cover them to the ground to keep the frost out. Trees are obviously harder to cover but get as much of the leaves as possible. You can even wrap the trunk if you like but this is not usually necessary. Don't forget to remove the covers in the morning so they can get the sun of the day then recover again at night if it calls for frost.