A very attractive evergreen shrub or smaller tree with a dense canopy and "lush" look, to the leaves of this plant are shiny and bright green and about the size and shape of cherry leaves. New growth often has a bronze color to it, so it ranks high in its aesthetic appeal.

The reason you may not have considered it before is that it’s most often sold as a shrub for training into a hedge. Plant it alone, however, and prune the lower branches and it will grow into a very nice tree. A xylosma tree will develop a mushroom cap shape and only grows to a height of 15 feet or so. It’s great for providing shade for patios on today’s small lots.

Trees enhance the appearance of a neighborhood. They help clean the air and conserve energy. Whether you choose to plant xylosma or another type of tree, it is important to plant the right tree for the location. When planting under or near a power line, plant trees that are less than 30 feet high when mature. This reduces the chance of power outages and avoids the expense of annual pruning.

Think about the location you intend to plant the tree. Then look up and around in that area. Decide how close a fully-grown tree, planted in that area will come to a power line or a structure. Once you know the height and width available for a mature tree, you can select the suitable type of tree. Without knowing this you are likely to have trouble or expense in the years ahead.

Xylosma, as a shrub is not new here in the Las Vegas Valley. I think if more folks knew about it’s practicality as a small tree, you’d see a lot more use of it in our landscapes.

The xylosma is generally regarded as a handsome, adaptable shrub for a garden or landscape accent. Too often, unfortunately, I have seen it having a difficult time adapting to the Southwest desert. Each time, however, I’ve noticed only a drip emitter or two, and those are right next to the base of the plant.

If cultivated properly, xylosma does very well in the desert. It does require a more substantial root system than the typical “desert-hardy” plants like Leucophyllum or Cassia, so give it regular deep waterings and, as with most “traditional” plants, plenty of organics.

When planting xylosma, dig the planting hole three feet wide for a shrub, but four to six feet in width for a tree, and only as deep as the container. If you do intend your Xylosma to become a nice sized tree, then you might also allow the planting hole to be slightly deeper away from the center where the plant will rest. Do not dig the area where your tree will sit deeper than the container. If this happens the plant will likely sink over time and the root system then will be subject to soil being deposited over the top of the roots and suffocating the plant.

As your xylosma trees grows (as with most trees) add more emitters or a Netafim® (subsurface, in-line emitters) watering system around it in order to help the roots stretch out with the tree. A tree’s rooting system should extend out at least as far as the canopy and more if possible. Our summers are very hot and dry, and top this off with our high winds. All this puts a severe demand for water on the root system. If the roots are small and the canopy is large; drought stress is inevitable. With stress comes disease and/or insect infestations.

Xylosma is relatively hardy down to temperatures in the low 20s. It will experience some leaf drop in the high teens and twig dieback in the mid teens. Any plant, however, is much more tolerant of cold when it is kept healthy.

Traditional plants like xylosma need routine fertilization, and wherever the soil and water is alkaline the addition of amendments such as sulfur and composted organic matter to keep the pH reduced is important in order that the plant is capable of taking in the nutrition provided. High pH makes many nutrients difficult if not impossible to uptake, and both the water and soil in Southern Nevada are high pH and alkaline.

If you’re looking for a beautiful smaller tree for the landscape, or a large shrub, xylosma has a lot to offer. Providing diversity of plants is another method for helping to protect our landscapes from disease, not to mention the beauty that more varieties have to offer. With a little planning and proper cultivation techniques we can make our desert green while staying water-wise.