Acacia abyssinica (No Common Name) (Acacia abyssinica) Height: 20-25'. Width: 25-30'. Moderate water use. May drop leaves if the temperature falls to the low 20's. Growth more rapid with increased water.
Argentine mesquite (Prosopis alba) Height: 25'. Width: 25'. Low to Moderate water use. Cream color flowers. Large thorns. Fast growing. Fine textured foliage. Generally considered to be a better tree than Chilean mesquite, but frowned on because of the large thorns.
Arizona native mesquite (Prosopis velutina) Height: 30'. Width: 30'. Low to moderate water use. Cream flowers. Cold tolerant to 10 degrees. Small thorns. Fine textured foliage. A much under utilized tree because of its slow growth habit.
Catclaw acacia (Acacia greggii) Height: 6-8'in nature, 10-12' with pruning and water. Low water use. Deciduous. Yellow flowers. Native to the Sonoran Desert.
Chilean Mesquite (Prosopis chilensis) Height: 25'. Width: 25'. Low to moderate water use. Will loose most if not all leaves in a cold winter. Cream flowers. Cold tolerant to 18 degrees. Fine textured foliage. Fast growing. The most planted tree in the Tucson area. Needs tender loving care when young. Water deep to force roots down in the ground, prune and thin out secondary branches to allow wind to pass through.
Desert fern (Lysiloma thornberi) Height: 12'. Width: 12'. Low water use. Deciduous. White flowers. Cold tolerant to 23 degrees. Tropical-ferny look to this cold sensitive small tree.
Desert Ironwood (Olneya tesota) Height: 25'. Width: 25'. Low water use. Deciduous. Lavender flowers. Cold tolerant to 18F. Outstanding native tree, only drawback is its slow growth.
Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) Height: 25-30'. Width: 20-25'. Low water use. Deciduous. Lavender flowers. Medium growing. Cold tolerant to 0 degrees. Very nice semi-weeping tree. Many cultivars exist that have flower colors from almost white to deep purple.
Foothills palo verde (Cercidium microphyllum) Height: 12'. Width: 12'. Low water use. Deciduous. Yellow flowers. Slow growing. Native to the Sonoran Desert. Excellent for revegetation.
Guajillo (Acacia berlandieri) Height: 20'. Width: 12'. Low water use. Deciduous. Slow growing. Creamy white flowers in spring. A few thorns. This tree should only be planted in the warmer parts of Tucson as it may be frost damaged.
Mexican Ebony (Pithecellobian Mexicanum) Height: 30'. Width: 30'. Low water use. Semi-evergreen. Cream color flowers. Cold tolerant to 16 degrees.
Mulga (Acacia aneura) Height: 18-20'. Width: 8-12'. Low water use. Evergreen. Cold tolerant to about 10 degrees. Yellow flower with grey thin leaves. This is a good, under used medium sized tree.
Palo Brea (Cercidium praecox) Height: 20'. Width: 20'. Low water use. Semi-evergreen. Yellow flowers. Cold tolerant to about 20 degrees. Best planted in only warmer areas of Tucson.
Screwbean mesquite (Prosopis pubescens) Height: 20'. Width: 20'. Low to moderate water use. Deciduous. Cold tolerant to 10F. Thorns. Yellow flowers. Fine textured foliage.
Shoestring acacia (Acacia stenophylla) Height: 25'. WidthL 10-12' wide. Low/moderate water use. Evergreen.
Sweet acacia (Acacia minuta-smallii-farnesiana) Height: 18-25'. Width: 18-25'. Moderate water use. May lose some leaves in a cold winter. Yellow puff ball flowers in late winter/early spring.
Texas Ebony (Pithecellobian flexicale) Height: 20'. Width: 20'. Low water use. Evergreen. Cream color flowers. Thorns. Slow growing. Rich green foliage. Cold tolerant to 18F. An outstanding tree with a nice branch structure.
Texas honey Mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) Height: 20'. Width: 20'. Low to moderate water use. Deciduous. Cold tolerant to 0 degrees. Cream Flowers. Small thorns. Fine textured foliage. Outstanding medium growing tree with weeping foliage.
Weeping wattle (Acacia salicina) Height: 20-25'. Width: 15'. Moderate water use. Evergreen. Cold tolerant to about 18F. Moderate to fast growth rate depending on watering. Full sun. Weeping branches, with narrow green leaves and creamy puff ball flowers.
White thorn acacia (Acacia constricta) Height: 10-18'. Width: 10-18'. Low water use. Deciduous. Slow growing. Yellow puff ball flower in spring. Full sun. One of two native acacias to the Sonoran Desert. In nature it is a small tree, but it reaches the above mentioned size with pruning and supplemental water.
