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OVERVIEW

  • Excessive heat and drought are currently impacting trees across Arizona and New Mexico, with much hotter and drier conditions projected for the decades ahead.

  • To prepare for these conditions, people in many Arizona and New Mexico cities and towns are expanding tree planting efforts to provide more shade and other tree benefits.

  • Many tree and tree/shrub species that are native to southwest areas of North America—including the US southwest and northern Mexico—are well adapted to sun, heat and drought.
  • Native Tree Profiles of 65 of these species are provided at this website to help people select hardy trees to increase urban climate resilience in Arizona and New Mexico.
  • To conserve potable (drinking) water, Native Tree Profiles provide information on tree water needs and harvested water supplies to help support tree growth. These water supplies include rainfall, stormwater runoff, graywater, and condensate water harvested from air conditioning units and other cold-producing machines.
  • Tree-related Resources and References below provide links for water harvesting information and other important tree-related topics.
CONTENTS OF NATIVE TREE PROFILES

NATIVE TREE DIRECTORY

TEN BEST PRACTICES FOR USING NATIVE TREES IN URBAN AREAS

CONFLICTS BETWEEN TREES AND UTILITY LINES

CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECTIONS FOR ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO

HOW THE 65 TREES SPECIES WERE SELECTED

TREE-RELATED RESOURCES AND REFERENCES



CONTENTS OF NATIVE TREE PROFILES

  • Photos and data have been compiled into profiles of 65 native southwest climate resilient tree and tree/shrub species.
  • Each profile provides a array of tree photos, a native range map and overview data including tree height, width, structural form, deciduous nature, shade density, climate tolerances, elevation range, growth rate, lifespan, benefits, placement and water use. Note that all of the native trees that are profiled prefer well drained soil.
  • Access Tree Profiles by searching the NATIVE TREE DIRECTORY using drop-down menus listing scientific names, common names or by selecting the elevation of your location.
  • It is important to learn more about tree species before planting them. See TREE-RELATED RESOURCES AND REFERENCES.



TEN BEST PRACTICES FOR USING NATIVE TREES IN URBAN AREAS

  • The 10 Best Practices listed below can help guide selection, placement, planting, watering, pruning and care of native trees to increase urban climate resilience.
  • In order to conserve potable (drinking) water supplies, the best practices emphasize the use of harvested water supplies to grow trees.

Ten Best Practices:

    1. Save drinking water by growing trees with harvested rainwater, stormwater, graywater and condensate water
    2. Learn native tree needs and characteristics
    3. Plant native trees and native understory plants together
    4. Plan where to plant to meet your needs and tree needs
    5. Start with healthy young plants
    6. Shape the tree’s water harvesting area before planting
    7. Use good planting techniques to grow healthy trees
    8. Add mulch to keep moisture in the ground
    9. Provide establishment watering and ongoing watering using harvested water
    10. Follow key pruning principles for good tree health and shade
  • These principles are described in detail in a guidebook for using native trees in Tucson. Information provided in this guidebook can be used in other urban areas in Arizona and New Mexico.

http://tucsoncleanandbeautiful.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/FINAL-GUIDEBOOK-7-27-21-40mb.pdf



CONFLICTS BETWEEN TREES AND UTILITY LINES

  • IMPORTANT: Local jurisdictions often have regulations and/or guidelines addressing tree planting under or near overhead utility lines, and over buried utility lines. Learn your local requirements before planting trees anywhere near overhead or buried utility lines.
  • CAUTION: Attempting to prune trees that are growing under, near or into overhead utility lines can result in electrocution. Contact your local electrical utility to be referred to qualified, licensed tree trimming services that do this dangerous work. In some cases, electric companies might do this work for free.
  • The 65 Native Tree Profiles address utility issues in the following way:
  • “Not utility friendly” refers to tall tree species that should never be planted under or near overhead utility lines.
  • “Potentially utility friendly depending on size and pruning” refers to moderate-sized tree species that could be planted under or near overhead utility lines if the trees are carefully monitored and proactively pruned to prevent them from growing anywhere near overhead utility lines.
  • “Utility friendly” refers to small tree and tree/shrub species that are less likely to grow into utility lines, but still must be carefully monitored and proactively pruned to prevent them from growing anywhere near overhead utility lines.



    CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECTIONS FOR ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO



    HOW THE 65 TREES SPECIES WERE SELECTED

    • The 65 profiled tree and tree/shrub species are native to southwest areas of North America in Arizona, New Mexico, southern California, southwest Texas and northern Mexico, including hot deserts (light tan on map), cold deserts (brown on map) and adjacent areas.
    • Prospective species were compiled from lists of native, drought tolerant and/or climate-adapted trees species assembled for use in different parts of Arizona and New Mexico. Additional drought tolerant native species were added if they were not already included on these lists.
    • Compiled species were reviewed for their geographic origin, elevation range, cold tolerance and water use, along with their tolerance to sun, heat and drought conditions.
    • Species were removed from consideration if they were not native to southwest areas of North America, had high water needs, were found only at high elevations, or if there was little available information about them.
    • The resultant species were photographed, researched and compiled into the 65 Native Tree Profiles.


      TREE-RELATED RESOURCES AND REFERENCES

      How to search the internet for information about specific tree species

      • Use the scientific name(s) to get the most accurate information—common names may apply to more than one species
      • Information on size and other characteristics often varies from source to source, so consult multiple sources to get a broad understanding of the plant

      Information about plants, planting, watering, pruning and care for native trees and other plants

      Information including native species lists and plant size, habitat, locations, age and other characteristics

      Information about harvesting rainwater, stormwater, graywater and condensate water to support plants       

      State-wide urban and community tree and forest information

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