The Best Shade Trees for Phoenix
- Shade trees help to serve a multitude of purposes in the environment. They provide homes to wildlife, decrease the use of energy and reduce air temperature. The Urban Forestry Department of the City of Phoenix has recommended a number of shade trees that grow well in Arizona. These include the Chilean mesquite, Arizona ash, chaste tree and carob tree.
- The Chilean mesquite, Prosopis chilensis, is the most common of the mesquite trees in Arizona. The native tree is popular due to its superior shading quality. The tree has a wide and dense 25 feet canopy and reaches a maximum height of 25 feet. If the trees are overwatered and or not properly staked and pruned they tend to grow too fast. This makes them top heavy and susceptible to getting blown over. The Chilean mesquite is a native of the arid and subtropical areas of South America. The tree grows either as a single or multi-trunked tree. Chilean mesquite is drought tolerant and does not lose many leaves in the winter.
- Arizona ash, Fraxinus velutina, is a fast growing deciduous shade tree. The tree is a native of Arizona and southwestern parts of New Mexico. The younger trees are pyramidal in shape but the growth gets more rounded and open as the trees mature. Arizona ash belongs to the olive family of trees and is widely used as a shade and street tree. The trees grow very well in alkaline soils and reach a mature height of up to 30 feet. They require moderate watering and grow optimally in full sun. Arizona ash has excellent heat tolerance and is hardy to winter temperatures of -10 degrees F.
- Carob tree, Ceratonia siliqua, is also known as carob, St John's bread and locust. The tree is a hardy variety that lived through the last ice age and thrived in the Mediterranean region. It adapts well to poor soils and harsh climatic conditions. The tree is a slow growing evergreen that reaches a mature height of about 30 feet. The broad leaves are dark green and offer prolific shade. The tree starts to bear long and leathery edible pods at the age of 15 years. Besides being a favored shade tree, the carob is also among the nitrogen fixing species and helps with soil fertility.