Acacia berlandieri
Guajillo
Prune young plants carefully if your goal is to develop a small tree form. Leaves are delicate and almost fernlike. Small thorns appear on some trees. Canopy coverage: 113 square feet.
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Acacia constricta
White Thorn Acacia
White Thorn Acacia can be grown as a tree or shrub—often with multiple trunks. Casual growth habit works well in naturalistic landscapes. Canopy coverage: 177 square feet.
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Acacia farnesiana
Sweet Acacia
The puffball flowers of Sweet Acacia are highly fragrant. Prune gradually to create a handsome small tree. Canopy coverage: 314 square feet.
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Acacia greggii
Cat-claw Acacia
Cat-claw Acacia is easy to maintain as a shrub form. Requires little water. However, additional irrigation increases growth, which allows pruning to create a small tree. Curved thorns are the reason behind its common name, making it an excellent barrier plant. Canopy coverage: 113 square feet.
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Acacia pendula
Weeping Acacia
Weeping Acacia becomes a tall, vertical tree with age. Its most striking feature is the weeping growth habit with silvery leaves. Flowering is uncommon in arid regions. Canopy coverage: 491 square feet.
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Acacia rigidula
Blackbrush Acacia
The shrublike form of Blackbrush Acacia creates an effective screen. Medium-size thorns present a security barrier. Distinctive dark green foliage contrasts nicely when combined with gray-leaved plants. Canopy coverage: 177 square feet.
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Acacia saligna
Blue Leaf Wattle
This tree is fast-growing, tending even toward aggressive growth. Branches and leaves drape gracefully toward the ground. Flowers are profuse yellow puffballs. Canopy coverage: 314 square feet.
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Acacia schaffneri
Twisted Acacia
Twisted Acacia is an interesting small tree with distinctive branching pattern. Small thorns along stems make it a suitable barrier plant. Canopy coverage: 491 square feet.
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Acacia stenophylla
Shoestring Acacia
The upright and airy form of Shoestring Acacia is attractive when planted as a small grove. Makes an effective screen. Canopy coverage: 314 square feet.
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Albizia julibrissin
Silk Tree
Multiple trunk forms are common for Silk Tree. Flowers are dramatic, almost subtropical in nature. Flower litter can be messy. Canopy coverage: 1,257 square feet.
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Bauhinia lunarioides
White Orchid Tree
This Bauhinia is more cold hardy than its cousins and is considered to be semievergreen. It is small in stature, which allows its use as a patio tree or flowering shrub tucked into a confined space. Canopy coverage: 28 square feet.
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Brahea armata
Mexican Blue Palm
Mexican Blue Palm is a tropical, fan-type palm that is very slow growing. Canopy coverage: 79 square feet.
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Calocedrus decurrens
Incense Cedar
This needled evergreen tree is known for its flattened, fernlike leaves. Trees can get tall in the wild—more than 100 feet high. Foliage emits a pleasant scent when crushed, thus the common name Incense Cedar. Trees wear rugged, reddish brown bark as they mature. Best with some protection from the sun in hot summer regions. Canopy coverage: 1,963 square feet.
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Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca'
Blue Atlas Cedar
In addition to Blue Atlas Cedar, look for selections with a range of forms, such as 'Glauca Pendula', which has a weeping growth habit. 'Horstman' is more compact. Canopy coverage: 707 square feet.
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Celtis occidentalis
Western Hackberry
Adapted to grow in a wide range of climates, Western Hackberry is also known as Common Hackberry. Grows as a large shrub or tree—give it more water for tree form. Best to plant from containers rather than bare root for better establishment. Yellow fall color and small red to purple fruit are attractions. Canopy coverage: 1,963 square feet.
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Celtis reticulata
Canyon Hackberry
The knobby gray bark of Canyon Hackberry is an interesting feature. Birds are attracted to the orange summer berries. Produces allergenic pollen. Canopy coverage: 491 square feet.
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Celtis sinensis
Chinese Hackberry
Water Chinese Hackberry deeply to encourage deep roots so trees will withstand strong winds. Canopy coverage: 1,257 square feet.
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Cercocarpus ledifolius
Curl-leaf Mountain Mahogany
Curl-leaf Mountain Mahogany makes a suitable background plant. It can be trained to become a small tree to show off its rich, reddish brown bark. The small white flowers remind one of roses. Plant in well drained soil. Best with some protection from the sun in hot summer regions. Canopy coverage: 79 square feet.
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Chamaerops humilis
Mediterranean Fan Palm
This is a small, fan-type palm with a mature size (to 10 feet) to remain in scale for residential use. Best with some protection from the sun in hot summer regions. Canopy coverage: 50 square feet.
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Chilopsis linearis
Desert Willow
Desert Willow is a bulletproof tree for hot-summer regions. Weeping form is appealing, as are the spring flowers. Long brown to tan seedpods add interest in winter. Many selections are available in a range of colors. Canopy coverage: 314 square feet.
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Chitalpa x tashkentensis
Chitalpa
Chitalpa is a hybrid of two genera: Chilopsis and Catalpa. It is a tough plant, accepting summer heat. Striking flowers and lush evergreen form are attractions. Many flower colors available. Look for the improved selection 'Morning Cloud'. Canopy coverage: 707 square feet.
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