Arizona Rosewood (Vauquelinia californica) is a vigorous, dense, upright, evergreen shrub that is an excellent alternative to Nerium oleanders in all landscape designs. While it is a distant botanical relative of the Rose, its takes it common name from the heart wood of branches that can range from red to shades of brown. It is found in canyons and hillsides in Arizona, Baja and Sonora Mexico at elevations between 2500 to 5000 feet. This large shrub/small tree is reported to be hardy to 10 to 15 degrees. New growth may be a bit less cold tolerant than mature wood. As a desert native it is well adapted to high temperatures and poor soils and grows well in either partial or full sun. It can be naturalized in some desert locations to survive on rainfall or grows well with deep, monthly summer irrigations. Growth rates are slow for young plants. As roots mature and plants become more established growth rates increase. Reports of the mature height and width vary from 8 to 30 feet tall and 5 to 20 feet wide. The natural shrub form is the result of numerous low branching, upright stems with dense, alternating, erect leaves. Leaves are dark green, leathery, 2 to 4" long and 1/2 to 1 1/2"wide with serrated or saw-toothed leaf margins. The combination of upright branches and upward pointing leaves give Rosewood its strong columnar growth habit. Flat-topped clusters of snowy white to cream colored flowers (about 3/8" in diameter each) are found from spring to summer. Flowers mature during the summer into dark brown to rust colored hard fruit. Some fruit remains attached through the winter months. It can be used as a tall informal hedge that serves as an effective privacy screen or noise barrier. It requires no  pruning but can, over several years, be pruned into a small tree form. It is used as a perimeter planting, hedge, large accent shrub or in many landscape applications were Oleanders are currently used. Its advantages over Oleander include slower growth, ease of maintenance, limited leaf and flower litter, flowers and plant parts are not toxic to people or pets and it can be naturalized in most landscape settings.

White Barked Acacia and Palo Blanco are the two common names associated with Acacia willardiana. Palo Blanco has a slender, upright form that matures to about 20 feet tall and 10 feet wide. Because of its relatively small size, this delicate, weepy desert tree is used as an accent, in entry areas and patios or to cast shadows against a wall or building. It is found on rocky hillsides in Sonora Mexico and was recently introduced into southwest landscapes. Leaves are made up of a thin 4" midrib that divides to form two leaflets about 1" long. Each leaflet then bears ten tiny leaflets. The canopy on even fairly mature specimens is almost transparent providing only very modest shade. White to cream colored, puff ball flowers appear in spring and mature into dark brown, 3" to 8 " long seed pods over the summer. Trees are deciduous and grows best in full sun and well drained soils. Palo Blancos grow slowly and require little or no pruning once mature shape is established. They are reported to be cold hardy to temperatures in the mid 20's but can be severely damaged by temperatures in this range in lower desert locations. Beside the lacy form of this tree, its other distinguishing feature is the peeling, papery, silver-white bark. The form and texture can be enhanced by up lighting at night or when planted against a contrasting background. It peeling bark and beautiful silhouette and small statue make Palo Blanco an ideal accent tree in arid landscape designs.