Trees & Shrubs
Spring 2009 Conservation Tree Program
Iron County
Washington County
The Tree Browser is a great resourse to find detailed information about various trees that grow in Utah.
Click the links below to learn more about trees and shrubs that grow well in our area.
Printable version
Large Trees
| Common Name | Botanical Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona Ash | Fraxinus veluntina | Withstands hot, dry conditions, Lows –10° |
| Fan-Tex Ash | Fraxinu veluntina ‘Rio Grande' | Foliage resistant to wind burn |
| Modesto | Fraxinus veluntina ‘Modesto' | Subject to heat scorch, not as hardy as others |
| Raywood Ash | Fraxinus veluntina ‘Raywood' | Foliage sensitive to high wind |
| Montebello Ash | Fraxinus veluntina ‘Coracea' | Native of Southern California |
| Honey Locust | Gleditsia triacanthos inemis ‘Shademaster' | Good street tree |
| Live Oak | Quercus virginia | Adapted well to low desert areas |
| Cork Oak | Quercus suber | May see cold injury in less than Zone 5 |
| Holly Oak | Quercus ilex | May be trained or sheared |
| Idaho Locust | Robinia ambiqua idahoensis | Bright purple showy flowers |
| Chinese Elm | Ulmus parvifolia | Fast grower, will handle wide range of climates |
| Chinese Pistache | Pistacia chinesis | Moderate grower, handles alkaline soils |
| Bloodgood Sycamore | Plantanus acerifolia | Large tree, heavy trunk, large hairy leaves |
| Italian Alder | Alnus cordata | Handles wide range of zones, needs water |
Small Trees
| Common Name | Botanical Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Common Hackberry | Celtis occidentalis | Upright growth habit, may exceed 40-50 ft. |
| Netleaf Hackberry | Celtis reticulata | Canyon/wash small tree |
| Honey Mesquite | Prosopis glandulosa | Good desert tree |
| Mimosa | Albizia julibrissin | Not long-lived |
| Glossy Privet | Ligustrum lucidum | May suffer in full sun |
| Japanese Pagoda | Sophora japonica | Heat tolerant |
| Photinia | Photinia Fraseri | Sensitive to iron deficiency |
| Singleleaf Ash | Fraxinum anomala | Native to canyons and stream beds |
| Hawthorne | Crataegus Sp. | Requires moderate watering |
| Sweet Gum | Liquidambar styraciflua | Not good in alkaline soils |
| Tulip Tree (Poplar) | Liriodendron tulipifera | Requires slightly acid soil |
| Golden Raintree | Koelreuteria paniculata | Well adapted to St. George |
| Acacia | Acacia sp. | Not adapted to colder areas |
| Bird of Paradise | Heliconia sp. | Small blooming ornamental |
| Loquat | Loquat deFlexia | Not good in full sun |
| Loquat | Loquat japonica | Produces edible fruit |
Flowering Trees
| Common Name | Botanical Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bradford Pear | Pyrus calleryana | Limbs may become brittle |
| Indian Bean Tree | Catalpa speciosia | Large pods hang in late summer |
| Redbud | Cercis occidentalis | Early blooming tree |
| Desert Willow | Chilopsis linearis | Native desert species |
| Chitalpa | Chiltalpa tashkentensis ‘Pink Dawn' | Struggles with mid-summer heat |
| Crape Myrtle | Lagerstroemia indica | Adapted well to St. George |
| Idaho Locust | Robinia ambiqua idahoensis | May become quite large |
| Japanese Pagoda (Chinese Scholar Tree) | Sophora japonica | Small yellow flowering tree |
| Chaste Tree | Vitex agnus-castus | Well adapted to desert, spreading habit |
Conifers
| Common Name | Botanical Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Atlas Cedar | Cedrus atlantica | Nice specimen tree |
| Deodar Cedar | Decrus deodara | May get spider mites easily |
| Arizona Cypress | Cupressus arizonica | Adapted to the cooler area of the county |
| Leyland Cypress | Cupressocyparis leylandii | Good screen tree, shows some wind damage |
| Mondel Pine | Pinus eldarica | Upright growth habit |
| Aleppo Pine | Pinus halepenis | Handles poor soil and desert heat |
| Italian Stone Pine | Pinus pinea | Slow growing, rounded shape |
| Japanese Black Pine | Pinus thunbergii | Slow growing, irregular shape |
Shrubs
| Common Name | Botanical Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Creosote Bush | Larrea divaricata salve | Low desert large shrub |
| Fremont Indigobush | Dalea fremontii | Low desert large shrub |
| Sand Sagebrush | Artemisia filifolia | Sand desert large shrub |
| Fourwing Saltbush | Atriplex canescens | Sand desert large shrub |
| Squawbush Sumac | Rhus aromatica | Canyon/wash large shrub |
| Apache Plume | Fallugia paradoxa | Canyon/wash large shrub |
| Fremont Barberry | Berberis fremontii | Canyon/wash large shrub |
| Big Sagebrush | Artemisia tridentata | Rock/outcrops medium shrub |
| Brittlebush | Enceila frutescens | Medium shrub, yellow flowering |
| Green Mormon Tea | Ephedra viridis | Medium shrub, has small flowers and leaves |
| Datil Yucca | Yucca baccata | Medium shrub, 3' high x 5' wide |
| Utah Century Plant | Agave utahensis | Rock/outcrops succulent |
| Joshua Tree | Hucca brevifolia | Spiny simple branched, slow growth |
| Prickly Pear | Cactacea sp. | Native to desert, flowers in spring |
| Barrel Cactus | Cactacea sp. | Slow growth, needs little water |
| Ocotillo | Fouquieria splendens | Whip-like stems, thorny, orange flowers |
| Oleander | Nerium sp. | Tolerant of heat, blooms most of the summer |
| Nandina | Nandina domestica | Small shrubs, bamboo-type plant |
| Mock Orange | Choisya ternata | Luscious green leaves, doesn't like alkaline soil |
| Trailing Rosemary | Rosemarinus officinalis | Evergreen feathery shrub, fragrant |
| Spanish Broom | Spartium junceum | Handles poor soil, yellow blooms, 6-10 ft. high |
| Firethorn | Pyracantha sp. | Evergreen shrub with bright orange berries |
| Cottoneaster | Cottoneaster sp. | Low-growing shrub, orange berries |
| Rose of Sharon | Hibiscus syriacus | Deciduous shrub, upright growth habit |
| Texas Ranger | Leucophyllum sp. | Green-grey foliage shrubs with colorful blooms |
| Mountain Mahogany | Cercocarpus sp. | Evergreen shrub/tree suited to dry rock slopes |
| Junipers | Juniperus sp. | Many forms of this evergreen shrub |
| Oregon Grape | Magonia aquifolium | Bushy plants having glossy green leaves with blue berries, 6 ft. high |
Perennials
| Common Name | Botanical Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mojave Globemallow | Sphaeralcea ambigua | Low desert perennial, orange flowers |
| Desert Marigold | Baileya multiradiata | Low desert perennial, yellow flowers |
| Palmer Penstemon | Penstemon palmeri | Sand desert perennial, light pink flowers |
| Hopi Blanketflower | Gaillardia pinnatifida | Sand desert perennial, orange flowers |
| Pale Evening Primrose | Oenothera pallida | Sand desert perennial herb |
| Prince's Plume | Stanleya pinnata | Rock/outcrops perennial herb, yellow plumelike flowers |
| Utah Penstemon | Penstemon utahensis | Rock/outcrops perennial herb, red tubular flowers |
| Firecracker Penstemon | Penstemon eatonii | Rock/outcrops perennial herb, red tubular flowers |
| Desert Larkspur | Delphinium scaposum | Rock/outcrops perennial herb, purple flowers |
| Indian Paintbrush | Castilleja chromosa | Rock/outcrops perennial, red flowers |
| Sundrops | Calylophus hartwegii | Yellow flowering, does well in sunny, hot areas |
| Chocolate Flower | Berlandiera lyrata | Fragrant yellow blooms |
| Coneflower | Echinacea purpurea | Purple flowers, blooms most of summer |
| Columbine | Aquilegia sp. | Likes well-drained soil |
| Verbena | Verbena sp. | Available in many colors |
| Lantana | Lantana sp. | Low growing, evergreen shrubs |
| Ice Plant | (Various genera) | Low growing, succulent groundcover |
| Autumn Sage | Salvia greggii | Small shrub, blooms summer and fall |
| Salvia | Salvia sp. | Many types of this perennial |
| Coreopsis | Coreopsis sp. | Yellow flowering, about 1-2 ft. tall |
| Yarrow | Achillea sp. | Tall erect growth habit, most are yellow |
| Lavender | Lavendula sp. | Fragrant purple flowers |
| Lirope | Liriope muscari | Green grass-like leaves in clumps-purple bloom |
| Four O'Clock | Mirabilus multiflora | Magenta colored flowers in clumps |
| Phlox | Phlox sp. | Many perennial types, most are yellow or white |
| Russian Sage | Perovskia atriplicifolia | Wood shrub, mass of purple flowers |
| Red Hot Poker | Kniphofia sp. | Dense foliage producing yellow-orange flowers |
Grasses
| Common Name | Botanical Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Indian Ricegrass | Oryzopsis hymenoides | Sand desert bunchgrass |
| Red Grama | Bouteloua hirsuta | Rock/outcrops small bunchgrass |
| Blue Fescue | Festuca glauca | Clumped ornamental type, 12" high |
| Pampas Grass | Cortaderia selloana | Tall ornamental grass, white plumes 8-12' high |
| Desert Needle Grass | Stipa speciosa | Native clump grass, very drought tolerant |
| Buffalo Grass | Buchloe dactyloides | Slow growing, low maintenance grass, uses little water once established |
| Blue Grama | Bouteloua sp. | Native of dry climate, area, heat resistant |
Vines and Ground Covers
| Common Name | Botanical Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Lady Banks Rose | Rosa banksiae | Evergreen climbing rose, yellow or white |
| Trumpet vine | Campsis grandiflora | Fast-growing vine to 40 ft., orange bell-shaped flowers |
| Trumpet vine | Campsis radicans | Less vigorous, reddish-colored flowers |
| Virginia Creeper | Parthenosis inserta | Vigorous vine with beautiful foliage |