Scientific name: Vauquelinia californica

Description:  Arizona Rosewood is a small tree or shrub that will grow to a height of 15 feet. It is an evergreen in the rose family, Rosaceae, that grows in zones 7-10. A native of southwestern New Mexico, Arizona, Baja California, and Sonora in Northwestern Mexico, this drought-tolerant plant is cultivated as an ornamental. Although it may start out as a vase-shaped shrub, it can be trained into a multi-stemmed or single-stemmed tree. When in bloom during the spring, the plant produces dense clusters of flowers at the branch tips.  The plant is a larval host for the two-tailed swallowtail butterfly. Although often mistaken for oleander or photinia, it is more cold-hardy than oleander and more drought-tolerant than either.

Size: Arizona Rosewood can grow up to 10-15 feet tall and 5-10 feet wide.

Caution: The plant is generally pest and disease-free but can be susceptible to fungal diseases in humid conditions. Avoid overhead watering and ensure good air circulation around the tree.

Leaf: Evergreen, green or yellow-green, oblong-eliptic or oblong-lanceolate with serrulate or crenulate margins.

Fruit: Capsules develop from the tiny white flowers. This fruit is a visual treat and serves as a source of nutrition for wildlife, including birds and butterflies.

Flowers: White, blooming in May, June, and July. The woody seed pods persist from summer to winter.

Bark:  Reddish-brown bark.

Form: Unattended, its form is a large, multi-stemmed shrub. It can be trained into a multi-stemmed or single-stemmed tree.

Climate-Readiness: This tree can thrive in USDA Zones 7 to 10, making it suitable for a range of climates in New Mexico.

Soils: Vauquelinia californica thrives in well-draining soil with a pH of 6.1-9.0 (slightly acidic to highly alkaline). It can succumb to root rot in poorly drained soil.

Management/Care: Water deeply but infrequently. They are drought-tolerant but will grow faster with more frequent irrigation.