Accession Count: 61
Common Name:
Arizona rosewood
Family Name:
Rosaceae
Botanical Name:
Vauquelinia californica
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
Vauquelinia californica naturally grows as large multi-trunked shrub with dense foliage. It can grow to become 20 feet tall and ten feet wide. The four inch-long leaves of the Arizona rosewood have serrated edges, a leathery texture, and are lanceolate in shape. They are bright green and alternate along the gray to red colored stems. The tiny flowers bloom in clusters at the tips of branches, and are large, flat topped, and creamy white. The five rounded pedals measure about 1/4 inch across, and can be seen during the months May, June, and July (1,2).
Compound:
Vau cal
Geographic Origin:
Sonoran Desert
Ecozone Origin:
Nearctic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
The Arizona rosewood is native to the Sonoran desert of the United States and Mexico, typically found in elevations between 2,500 and 5,000 feet (1).
Cultivation Notes:
V. californica is a moderate to slow-growing, hardy evergreen, that can survive temperatures as low as 10oF. This shrub is well adapted to warm, dry climates, as it needs to be watered only once a month. It grows best in full sun or reflected sun exposure as well as dry, rocky soils (1,3).
Ethnobotany:
The Arizona redwood has many landscaping uses, and is an excellent choice for arid and transition zones when working with xeriscape methods. The shrub makes for a great unpruned hedge, as well as windbreak, barrier or border. The foliage is easily manipulated and can be pruned to shape, and trained to take on the form of a tree. Warning, as V. californica has been known to have problems with spider mites (1).
Height:
16 - 20 feet
Width:
11 - 15 feet
Growth Rate:
Slow Growing
Grow Season:
Fall
Flower Season:
Spring
Color:
White
Function:
Screen
Spread:
Non-spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Benign
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Hardy
Water Use:
Low water Use
Citations:
1. Walters, James E, and Balbir Backhaus.
Shade and Color with Water-Conserving Plants. Timber Press, 1992.
