Looking for flowering trees SWDesert ideas

[bhaugh]

I’m getting ready to go to the nursery and looking for ideas for trees to grow in Pots that flower or have unusual leaves. Live in SW Desert zone 8.

Ideas or suggestions?

 

[Acre4Me]

@igorsMistress has some experience here.

 

[igorsMistress]

Hi! Hibiscus is quite beautiful when it flowers and the leaves are cool looking. Olive, many citrus, Arabian lilacs, Mexican bird of paradise and Pride of Barbados. Ficus. Any of these can be trained into a tree or shrub. The lilac is really pretty with purple on one side of the leaves, green on the other. I’m in zone 9b so hotter and I don’t grow much in pots, but I imagine all of these would do ok in your zone. If you don’t want an olive that fruits, Little Ollie is a fruitless dwarf, fantastic little plants! Mine is in its second year in my yard and while it’s not a fast grower it only gets to about six feet tall. Also look around at native species you see. These can be kept in pots as long as you replant and trim the roots from time to time.

 

[bhaugh]

I ended up with a kumquat and fig. Trees are pretty sad shape this year. They were on sale but still cost 35 each for maybe second year growth. Thanks for your suggestions and I will keep looking for more trees. I rent that’s why I don’t want to plant them in the ground.

 

[igorsMistress]

I ended up with a kumquat and fig. Trees are pretty sad shape this year. They were on sale but still cost 35 each for maybe second year growth. Thanks for your suggestions and I will keep looking for more trees. I rent that’s why I don’t want to plant them in the ground.

I get that, when we rented we didn’t plant anything permanent either. Good luck your trees. Figs are great but I don’t have a tree because nobody else likes them.

That actually seems about right these days for cost, pretty close to what I see in our area.