Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Boojum Tree
Boojum Tree is a rare desert tree from Baja California and a small stretch of the Sonora coast, shaped like a giant upside-down carrot with short spiny branches. A relative of ocotillo, it grows in the cool months, leafing out in fall and winter and resting through the summer heat. Older plants carry clusters of creamy, honey-scented flowers in late summer that bees and hummingbirds visit. It grows very slowly, so it makes a striking focal point or container specimen for many years.
Best for: a focal point in a desert landscape, rock gardens with room to grow, and large containers on a patio or entry.
The thick trunk tapers upward like a giant upside-down carrot, lined with short spiny branches. Plant it where it can be seen and has room to grow for decades.
It grows so slowly that it can live in a large pot for years. Use a cactus mix in a pot with a drainage hole, and water it about weekly while it is in leaf.
Older plants carry clusters of creamy flowers at the top in late summer. Bees and hummingbirds visit them.
Water in summer while it rests is the main way to lose one, because it rots. Plants under a foot tall need frost cover below about 25°F.
- Group planting5 ft apart
- Open planting8 ft apart
While it is in leaf, water plants in the ground deeply every two to three weeks. Water plants in pots about once a week. Let the soil dry between waterings.
It drops its leaves in late spring and rests through summer. Give plants in the ground little or no water then, and never keep the soil wet, since rot is the main risk.
Full sun is best for older plants. Small plants do better with some shade during the hottest part of the day.
Larger plants handle the low 20s. Cover young plants under a foot tall with frost cloth on nights below about 25°F, and take it off in the morning.
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.
When does a Boojum Tree grow?
It grows in the cool months, the opposite of most desert plants. It leafs out around September, grows through winter and early spring, and drops its leaves in late April to rest through summer.
How often should I water a Boojum Tree?
While it is in leaf, from about September through May, water plants in the ground every two to three weeks and pots about once a week. In summer, give plants in the ground little or no water.
Why did my Boojum drop its leaves?
Dropping its leaves in late spring is normal, because it rests through the summer heat. Cut back the water once the leaves fall and wait for new leaves in fall.
How fast does a Boojum Tree grow?
Very slowly, especially while young. It picks up to a moderate pace once it is about a foot tall, but it can still take many years to add a foot of height.
How big does a Boojum Tree get?
In the wild it often reaches about 25 feet, and old giants pass 50 feet. In a yard it takes decades to get tall, so plan the spot for the long term.
How cold can a Boojum Tree take?
Larger plants handle the low 20s. Protect young plants under a foot tall with frost cloth on nights below about 25°F.
Does it need full sun?
Yes, full sun is best, and too much shade makes it leggy. Small plants do better with some shade during the hottest part of the day.
When is the best time to plant a Boojum Tree?
Plant it in fall, at the start of its growing season. That gives it the cool months to root in before the summer rest.
Does a Boojum Tree flower?
Older plants bloom in late summer with clusters of creamy, honey-scented flowers at the top. Bees and hummingbirds visit them. Expect to wait until the plant is about 5 feet tall or several years old.
Boojum Tree for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Boojum Tree (Fouquieria columnaris) is a slow, carrot-shaped desert tree that grows in the cool months and rests in summer. It is related to ocotillo and needs the opposite watering schedule of most desert plants. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard, from water and sun to frost and flowers.
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.
Boojum Tree in Arizona
Boojum Tree is a rare desert tree from Baja California and coastal Sonora, related to ocotillo. It grows in the cool months and rests through the summer heat.
How to water a Boojum Tree
Water it from about September through May, every two to three weeks in the ground and about weekly in pots. In summer, give plants in the ground little or no water.
When to plant a Boojum Tree
Plant it in fall, right at the start of its growing season. It roots in through the cool months before its summer rest.
How big and how fast a Boojum Tree grows
In the wild it often reaches about 25 feet and can pass 50. It grows very slowly, especially while young, so it stays a manageable size for years.
Frost care for a Boojum Tree
Larger plants handle the low 20s. Cover young plants under a foot tall with frost cloth when nights drop below about 25°F.
Boojum Tree flowers
Older plants bloom in late summer with clusters of creamy, honey-scented flowers at the top. Bees and hummingbirds visit them.
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.