Low Water Use Woody Plants For Tucson

UA+ Trees for Urban Landscapes

Trees known to tolerate low water use, summer heat, and winter temperatures in the mid teens were selected from among the hundreds of plants grown and tested on the University of Arizona campus. These plants are all-stars of sorts and yet, many are not commonly used in our landscapes. Search the UA Campus Arboretum species list and map to find out more about this terrific plants. (Some plant species have not yet been described. Students are currently completing the research and content will be fully populated by 2016).

Small (8-15' Tall), Low Water Use Trees

Leatherleaf Acacia Acacia craspedocarpa
Palo Blanco Acacia willardiana
Anacacho Orchid Bauhinia lunaroides
Thornless Cascalote Caesalpinia cacalaco
Desert Hackberry Celtis pallida
Texas Olive Cordia boissieri
Kidneywood Eysenhardtia orthocarpa
Little Leaf Ash Fraxinus greggii
Fish Poison Tree Piscidia mollis
Mastic Tree Pistacia lentiscus
Evergreen Sumac Rhus virens
Guajillo Senegalia berlandieri
Texas Mountain Laurel Sophora secundiflora
Silverbush Sophora tomentosa
Mexican Buckeye Ungnadia speciosa
Arizona Rosewood Vanquelinia californica

Medium (15-30' tall), Low Water Use Trees

Weeping Acacia Acacia pendula
Shoestring Acacia Acacia stenophylla
Bottle Tree Brachichiton populneus
Desert Willow Chilopsis linearis
Desert Ironwood Olneya tesota
Blue Palo Verde Parkinsonia florida
Foothills Palo Verde Parkinsonia microphylla
Mexican Palo Verde Parkinsonia x sonorae
Red Push Pistache Pistacia x 'Red Push'
Velvet Mesquite

Prosopis velutina

Large (30-60' tall), Low Water Use Trees

Rough Bark Arizona Cypress Cupressus arizonica
Smooth Bark Cypress Cupressus glabra
Coolibah Eucalyptus microtecha
Silver Dollar Gum Eucalyptus polyanthemos
Desert Pine Pinus eldarica
Chinese Pistache Pistacia chinensis
Mt. Atlas Pistache Pistacia atlantica