THREE TREES YOU MUST HAVE THIS SUMMER!

“In summer, the song sings itself”. Summer in Arizona brings sunsets with uncontested beauty, clear nights adorned with stars that leave no room for the parsimonious imagination and the aroma of the desert trees in bloom during the summer is in itself ineluctable. All of these senses are no further than your backyard. Summer ushers forth the season to plant an endless variety of desert trees. Native desert trees will transition your backyard from the “forgettable ordinary” to the “memorable extraordinary”. The three trees you MUST have to complete your summer are:

Foothill Palo Verde Tree

The foothill palo verde tree attributes its name to the trees greenish branches and trunk. Palo verde is Spanish for green wood or stick, which aptly describes this native tree. Foothill palo verdes can reach up to about 20 feet in height. When in bloom these trees will grace your property with a distinct five petaled yellow and white flower. As you admire a grouping of these trees during the flowering season they have the appearance of the illusive city of gold. You will have a lifetime to enjoy their beauty, because foothill palo verde trees often live well over a hundred years and have been known to live past the fourth century mark. Foothill palo verde trees are an essential addition to your landscape, and will harmonize with the surrounding desert landscape for centuries to come.

Blue Palo Verde Tree

A common accompaniment to the foothill palo verde, is its close relative the blue palo verde. Its botanist name is Cercidium floridum. Floridum refers to the trees abundant flowers. Blue palo verdes are fast growers and can easily top out at 40 feet in height. Pruning your blue palo verde will reveal the natural sculpture of its trunk that would rival Auguste Rodin. The blue palo verde also plays host or nursery to other native cacti, providing shade in the summer and protection during the winter. Blue palo verde trees are a must have this summer as you sit outside and absorb the quite summer nights.

Palo Brea Tree

Another native tree must have this summer is the palo brea. Sometimes it is called a Sonoran palo verde. One characteristic of this tree is its wide, open and spreading crown, making it ideal for summer shade. The twisted contortions of its trunk makes you feel like you have a front row seat at the cirque du soleil. The palo brea is drought-tolerant, like the foothill and blue palo verde. All three are perfect native trees for xeriscapes and low desert gardens. The palo brea tree is a must have this summer as you relax and enjoy its architectural uniqueness.

If indeed, “in summer, the song sings itself”, then native desert trees provide the harmony for that song. Moon Valley Nursery has been a part of shaping the serene desert landscape for decades by providing native desert trees throughout the valley. We would love to design and create a desert utopia for you to enjoy this summer, by supplying you with the must have trees of the summer. Call Moon Valley Nursery 602-938-6666 or visit us at www.moonvalleynursery.com