Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Shiny Xylosma
Shiny xylosma is a fast-growing evergreen shrub with glossy, bright green leaves. It can be trimmed into a hedge about 6 feet tall or trained into a small patio tree 10 to 15 feet tall.
It grows in full sun or part shade with moderate water. Its small flowers are hard to see but fragrant, and it takes pruning well.
Best for: trimmed hedges, privacy screens, and small patio trees in full sun or part shade.
It grows fast and dense, and it can be trimmed into a hedge about 6 feet tall. Plant it 4 feet apart for a tight hedge.
Left taller, it makes an evergreen screen of shiny green leaves. Plant it 6 feet apart for a looser screen.
With pruning it can be trained into a small tree about 10 to 15 feet tall and wide. Choose one strong stem and remove lower branches over time.
It grows fast, so a hedge needs regular trimming to stay neat. It needs moderate water and looks thin in dry soil.
- Tight hedge4 ft apart
- Looser screen6 ft apart
Water new plants often until they root. Once established, give moderate water with deeper, more frequent soaks in summer and less in winter.
Prune it to the shape you want, from a trimmed hedge to a small tree. It grows fast, so hedges need regular trims.
It grows in full sun or part shade. More sun gives a denser plant.
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 shiny xylosma get?
As a trimmed hedge it stays about 6 feet. Left to grow as a tree, it reaches about 10 to 15 feet tall and wide.
How far apart should I plant xylosma for a hedge?
Plant it about 4 to 6 feet apart. Use 4 feet for a tight hedge and 6 feet for a looser screen.
Can xylosma take full sun in Phoenix?
Yes. It grows in full sun or part shade, and it is hardy in Phoenix.
How often should I water xylosma?
Give it moderate water, with deeper and more frequent soaks in summer. Let the soil dry a little between waterings.
Can I shear xylosma?
Yes. It takes trimming well, whether you keep it as a clipped hedge or a looser natural shape.
Can xylosma be a patio tree?
Yes. Train it to one strong trunk and remove lower branches over time to make a small patio tree.
Does xylosma flower?
Yes, but the small greenish flowers are hard to see. They are fragrant, so you may notice the scent before the flowers.
How fast does xylosma grow?
It grows fast, so a hedge fills in quickly. Plan on trimming it several times a year to keep it neat.
Shiny Xylosma for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Shiny xylosma is a glossy, fast evergreen that makes a neat hedge or small patio tree. This page covers size, spacing, sun, watering and pruning.
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.
Shiny xylosma in the Valley
Shiny xylosma is a fast, glossy evergreen shrub that makes a neat hedge or small patio tree.
Xylosma hedge spacing
Plant it about 4 to 6 feet apart, closer for a tight hedge.
How big xylosma gets
As a hedge it stays about 6 feet. As a tree it reaches about 10 to 15 feet tall and wide.
Watering xylosma
Give it moderate water, with deeper soaks in summer.
Pruning xylosma
It takes trimming well, from a clipped hedge to a trained patio tree.
Xylosma sun needs
It grows in full sun or part shade and is hardy in Phoenix.
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.