Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Arizona rosewood
Arizona rosewood is a slow-growing native evergreen with dark green, leathery leaves that look a lot like oleander. It is a favorite low-water alternative to oleander for privacy screens and living walls, and it can be trained as a hedge or a small multi-trunk tree.
Flat clusters of small white flowers open in late spring and early summer and draw bees and butterflies. Once rooted it needs water only about once a month, and it handles cold to about 15°F.
Best for: privacy screens and living walls, informal hedges, small multi-trunk trees, and native low-water yards.
Its dense, dark green leaves make a year-round screen, and it is a favorite low-water alternative to oleander. Plant it 6 to 8 feet apart along a wall or property line.
It can be trained as a small multi-trunk tree about 10 to 15 feet tall. Remove lower branches over time to open up the trunks.
Clusters of small white flowers in late spring and early summer draw bees and butterflies. Plant it with other natives in a low-water yard.
It grows slowly, so choose a larger size if you need a screen soon. It does not respond well to shearing, and heavy, wet clay can rot the roots.
- Screen or hedge6 ft apart
- Spaced shrubs8 ft apart
Water every 3 to 4 days for the first two weeks, then every 6 to 7 days, then every 7 to 10 days. By weeks 7 and 8, water about every 10 to 14 days.
Once rooted, water deeply about once a month. More water than that is rarely needed and can cause soft growth.
It has a nice natural shape and needs little pruning. Trim lightly now and then for size, and never shear it.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Is Arizona rosewood a good oleander replacement?
Yes. Its dark green, leathery leaves look similar, and it is a favorite low-water alternative to oleander for screens. Plant it 6 to 8 feet apart for a screen.
How big does Arizona rosewood get?
It grows slowly to about 10 to 15 feet tall and 5 to 10 feet wide. Light pruning keeps it smaller.
How fast does Arizona rosewood grow?
It grows slowly, especially at first. Buy a larger size if you want a screen sooner.
How often should I water Arizona rosewood?
Water new plants every few days at first, then stretch it out over about two months. Once rooted, water about once a month.
Can I shear Arizona rosewood into a hedge?
Avoid shearing, since it does not respond well to it. Prune lightly now and then to keep the size and shape you want.
Can Arizona rosewood be a tree?
Yes. It can be trained as a small multi-trunk tree. Remove lower branches gradually to open up the trunks.
When does Arizona rosewood bloom?
It blooms in late spring and early summer with flat clusters of small white flowers. Bees and butterflies visit them.
How cold hardy is it?
It is rated to about 15°F, so it handles a Valley winter without cover.
What soil does Arizona rosewood need?
It needs soil that drains well and grows in rocky soil. Avoid spots where heavy clay stays wet.
Is Arizona rosewood messy?
No. It drops very little litter, which helps along a patio or driveway.
Arizona rosewood for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Arizona rosewood is a native evergreen that makes a dense, low-water screen. It is slow to start, so larger sizes screen sooner. This page covers size, spacing, watering, pruning and how it compares with oleander.
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Arizona rosewood in the Valley
Arizona rosewood is a native evergreen with dark green leaves and white spring flowers. It makes a dense, low-water screen.
Arizona rosewood vs oleander
It is a favorite low-water alternative to oleander for screens and living walls, with similar dark green leaves.
How far apart to plant Arizona rosewood
Plant it 6 feet apart for a screen or hedge and 8 feet apart for spaced shrubs.
Watering Arizona rosewood
Once rooted, water about once a month. New plants need water every few days at first.
Pruning Arizona rosewood
Prune lightly now and then, and never shear it.
Arizona rosewood as a tree
It can be trained into a small multi-trunk tree about 10 to 15 feet tall.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.