Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Tuesday - October 06, 2009
From: Las Cruces, NM
Region: Rocky Mountain
Topic: Trees
Title: Trees for a new home in Las Cruces, NM
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I've just purchased a brand new home in a sub-division in Las Cruces, NM and I'm looking for some landscaping advice. I come from upper-central Illinois, so I'm used to having trees pretty much all over the place, and I'd like to add a few to my new residence. My yard, however, is fairly small. I'd like to find some trees that grow from up to one or two stories and stay narrow. I also have a finished rock wall all the way around the property, so a smaller root system would be best, if possible. I've seen a few very tall and pencil thin trees in this area, and really like the way they look. Any advice?ANSWER:
At the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, we are committed to the care, propagation and protection of plants native not only to North America but to the area in which they are being grown. Native plants need less water, fertilizer and maintenance, and are adapted by eons of experience to the soil, climate and rainfall where they are growing. You are definitely making a large change in the environment in which you live, and we can sympathize with your wish to emulate what you had before. Unfortunately, even if you could find locally some of the types of trees you are thinking of, you would probably struggle just to get them planted, and they could still die. In addition, the type of tree you are describing probably is pretty unstable, not having the root system to support it in a high wind or storm.
Happily there are several lovely trees that will thrive in your area of USDA Hardiness Zones 7b to 8, with average annual minimum temperatures of 5 to 15 deg. F. We will go to Recommended Species, click on New Mexico on the map, and select for "trees" under General Appearance. Each one we like, we will check to make sure it grows in the vicinity of Dona Ana County, so we know it tolerates the weather and soils between the Mexican border and the mountains. You can use the same procedure to look over the other possibilities or to select herbaceous blooming plants, shrubs, grasses or vines that will also work in your garden. Follow each plant link to the page on that individual plant to learn its projected size, light requirements, soil moisture requirements, bloom time and so forth.
Trees for Las Cruces NM:
Chilopsis linearis (desert willow) - 15 to 30 ft., deciduous, blooms white, pink, purple April to September, low water use, sun
Fraxinus greggii (Gregg's ash) - to 20 ft. tall, low water use, part shade
Fraxinus velutina (velvet ash) - to 40 ft., deciduous, low water use, sun
Juglans major (Arizona walnut) - to 48 ft., deciduous, medium water use, sun or part shade
Pinus edulis (twoneedle pinyon) - 10 to 30 ft. tall, evergreen, low water use, part shade
Prosopis glandulosa (honey mesquite) to 30 ft. tall, deciduous, blooms yellow February to September, low water use, sun
Robinia neomexicana (New Mexico locust) - shrub to 20 ft. tall, thorny, blooms red April to August, medium water use, part shade
Ungnadia speciosa (Mexican buckeye) - 8 to 30 ft. tall,deciduous, blooms pink March to June, low water use, sun or part shade
From our Native Plant Image Gallery:
More Trees Questions
Newly planted nuttall oaks from Houston TX
November 16, 2012 - I recently purchased two Nuttall Oak Trees in Houston Texas (October). They are both 15' or taller. I planted them within 24 hours of being delivered, watered them in, staked them, and within 3-4 d...
view the full question and answer
Freeze damage to Mexican olive in Austin
December 13, 2009 - I have a Mexican Olive tree/bush. It is young - about 8 ft. tall. This last freeze in Austin made many of its leaves turn black. I got this from your database: "Its native range extends no farther...
view the full question and answer
Identity of evergreen tree at Barton Springs in Austin TX
October 11, 2015 - I am trying to identify an evergreen tree at Barton Springs in Austin. It is growing on the south lawn overlooking the pool. It has needles arranged in a fan like shape and makes a kind of crown-shape...
view the full question and answer
Replacement of Arizona ash in Austin
October 28, 2011 - We have two Arizona Ashes in our yard that probably have maybe a decade left in them. We want to get a couple new trees started, so they will be well established once the Ashes are near their end. In ...
view the full question and answer
Small flowering tree for MS
March 21, 2011 - I had to cut down some trees that had grown too close to my foundation, but would like to re-plant something a little farther from the house (12-16 feet away) that would still serve as a screen outsid...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |