Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Bonita Ash
Bonita Ash is a chosen form of Arizona ash, grown for fast, dense summer shade. It forms a broad, rounded canopy about 25 to 30 feet tall and wide. Every tree is male, so there are no seeds to clean up. The wood is strong for a fast grower, and in late fall the leaves turn golden yellow to orange before they drop.
Best for: dense summer shade over a yard, patio or lawn, a seedless shade tree in place of seed-grown Arizona ash, and windy spots where strong wood matters.
Bonita Ash grows fast into a broad, rounded canopy about 25 to 30 feet tall and wide. The leaves are dense and green through summer, so it casts real shade over a yard or patio. Plant trees in a row about 20 feet apart.
Seed-grown Arizona ash varies from tree to tree, and female trees drop clusters of winged seeds. Bonita trees are all male, so they make no seeds. That keeps cleanup to the fall leaf drop.
Bonita has strong wood for a fast grower, and it stands up to high winds. Arizona ash is a classic lawn and flood-irrigated shade tree, and it handles the alkaline desert soil found across the Valley.
It needs more water than desert trees, and a thirsty tree gets stressed and draws borers. Bare trunks sunburn if the canopy is thinned hard. Roots grow near the surface and can lift sidewalks and curbs. Male trees shed pollen in late winter and spring.
- Trees in a row20 ft apart
A new tree needs water every 1 to 2 days in summer for its first two weeks, or every 3 to 4 days when it is cool. Stretch that to about weekly by the second month, and keep watering deeply and regularly for about 3 years. Once rooted, soak the drip line every 7 to 14 days in summer and every 2 to 4 weeks in winter.
Remove the nursery stake when you plant. If the tree leans or the spot is windy, set two stakes outside the root ball, with soft, wide ties that leave a little room to sway. Take the stakes out after about a year.
Heavy thinning lets the sun burn the trunk, so keep cuts light. Lift the lower branches a few at a time, and remove no more than a quarter of the canopy a year.
Yellow leaves with green veins mean the tree cannot get enough iron from alkaline soil. Apply an iron product in spring, and only when the leaves are yellow.
Borers go after stressed ash, especially trees short on water or with sunburned bark. If branches die back year after year, check the watering first. Ash decline has no reliable cure.
Drops its leaves in winter and leafs out again in spring.
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.
How big does Bonita Ash get?
It grows about 25 to 30 feet tall and about as wide, with a broad, rounded canopy. It stays somewhat smaller than seed-grown Arizona ash, which can pass 40 feet.
How fast does Bonita Ash grow?
It grows fast, and regular summer water keeps it growing and keeps the canopy dense and green.
Does Bonita Ash make seeds?
No. Bonita trees are all male, so they do not make seeds. Female Arizona ash trees drop clusters of winged seeds, which is one reason people pick Bonita.
Does Bonita Ash cause allergies?
It can for some people. Only male ash trees shed pollen, and Bonita is all male. Ash pollen is in the Valley air from about February into April.
How often should I water Bonita Ash?
It needs more water than a desert tree. New trees get water every few days, stretching out over the first two months. Once rooted, soak it deep and slow at the edge of the canopy about every 1 to 2 weeks in summer. It needs much less water in winter while bare.
Why are my ash tree's leaves turning yellow?
In alkaline Valley soil, ash often runs short of iron. The new leaves turn pale yellow while the veins stay green. An iron chelate product in spring fixes it. Only feed it when the leaves are yellowing.
Why do the leaves turn brown in summer?
Brown summer leaves usually mean heat stress or too little water. The side facing the afternoon sun often browns first. Deep, slow watering down to about 3 feet helps it through the heat.
Do ash trees get borers?
Yes, they can. Borers mostly go after trees that are already stressed, most often from too little water or a sunburned trunk. Steady deep water and a full canopy are the best defense. The emerald ash borer has not been found in Arizona.
Can the roots lift my sidewalk or patio?
Yes, they can. Ash roots grow near the surface, and they can lift sidewalks and curbs and get in the way of mowing. Deep, slow watering pulls roots down, while short, frequent watering keeps them shallow.
How should I prune Bonita Ash?
Keep pruning light, because heavy cuts and thinning out the canopy let the sun burn the trunk and bark. Skip big pruning jobs in summer. Raise the lower branches slowly over several years.
How cold hardy is Bonita Ash?
It is very cold hardy and handles temperatures down to about 0°F, well past anything the Valley gets. It drops its leaves in winter and leafs out again in spring.
Bonita Ash vs Fan-Tex Ash, which is better?
Both are seedless forms of Arizona ash. Bonita has a broad, oval shape, golden to orange fall color, strong wood, and handles cold and dry spells a bit better. Fan-Tex has glossy, dark green leaves.
Bonita Ash for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Bonita Ash is a male, seedless form of Arizona ash, the Southwest shade tree. It grows fast into a broad, rounded canopy with strong wood and golden to orange fall color. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard, from size and water to yellow leaves, pollen and how it compares with other ash trees.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
What is Bonita Ash?
Bonita is a chosen male form of Arizona ash, a shade tree native to the Southwest and northern Mexico. Every tree is male and seedless. It is known for a broad, rounded shape, strong wood and orange-gold fall color.
How big does Bonita Ash get in Arizona?
Plan for about 25 to 30 feet tall and about as wide. That is a bit smaller than seed-grown Arizona ash, which can reach 40 feet or more. Space trees in a row about 20 feet apart.
How often do you water an ash tree in Phoenix?
Ash needs more water than desert trees. Water new trees every few days at first, then stretch it out over about two months. Established trees do well with a deep soak about every 1 to 2 weeks in summer and much less in winter.
Bonita Ash fall color
The leaves turn golden yellow to orange, and Bonita runs more orange than most ash. Around Phoenix the color usually comes late, from late November into December, before the leaves drop.
Yellow leaves on Arizona ash
Pale yellow leaves with green veins mean the tree is short on iron, which is common in alkaline Valley soil. Treat with an iron chelate product in spring. Browning in summer is more often heat or water stress.
Bonita Ash vs Arizona Ash
Seed-grown Arizona ash varies from tree to tree, grows larger, and female trees drop winged seeds. Bonita is a male, seedless selection that stays about 25 to 30 feet, with strong wood and a bit better cold and drought tolerance.
Is Bonita Ash good in the wind?
Yes, for a fast grower. Bonita is known for strong wood that holds up to high winds. Deep watering that grows deep roots helps any shade tree stay standing through monsoon season.
Ash decline in Arizona
Ash decline is a disease confirmed in Arizona that slowly kills ash trees over several years. Signs are dying branches and tufts of small leaves. There is no working treatment, so first make sure a struggling tree is getting enough water.
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