ROCKY MOUNTAIN MAPLE
Acer glabrum
Maple Family (Aceraceae)
Height: Shrub, or small tree to 25’.
Trunk: To 1’ in diameter.
Bark: Light brown to gray; smooth, thin.
Flowers: Greenish yellow, small, in cluster; followed by paired, winged seed cases or “keys” to 1” long, set in narrow V. Male and female flowers usually on different trees.
Leaves: Shiny, dark green above, lighter beneath; 3- to 5-lobed, toothed margins, red leaf stems; to 5” wide.
Blooms: May–June.
Elevation: 5,000 to 9,000’.
Habitat: Moist, rich soil along streams in ponderosa pine and spruce-fir forests.
Comments: Foliage turns yellow and red in fall. Seeds eaten by rodents and foliage browsed by deer, elk, and cattle. Three species of Acer in Arizona. Photograph taken at Woods Canyon Lake, August 3. Pointed teeth on leaf margins identify this maple.
FAIRY RING AGAVE
Agave toumeyana var. bella
Agave Family (Agavaceae)
Height: Flower stalk to 6’.
Flowers: Green to pale yellow, sac-shaped perianth with large anthers extended; flower to 1” long; in elongated terminal cluster on long spike, followed by oblong, thin-walled capsule to ½” long.
Leaves: Light green with grayish white slashings; whitish threads along leaf margins; reddish tips; linear, concave on upper surface; to 8” long, 1” wide; in compact, circular rosette of 100 or more leaves at maturity.
Blooms: May–July.
Elevation: 4,000 to 5,000’ in south-central Arizona.
Habitat: Rocky slopes in chaparral.
Comments: Native to higher elevations in southcentral Arizona. Some authorities rank this variety as a subspecies. Twelve species of Agave in Arizona. Photograph taken at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, November 12.
SOTOL
Desert Spoon
Dasylirion wheeleri
Agave Family (Agavaceae)
Height: To 3’; flower stem to 15’.
Flowers: Greenish white with 6 petallike segments; tiny, thousands in narrow cluster to 8’ long. Male and female flowers on different plants.
Leaves: Green, ribbonlike; margins with forwardfacing teeth, split ends; to 3’ long, 1” wide; is rounded, basal cluster.
Blooms: May–August.
Elevation: 4,000 to 6,000’.
Habitat: Rocky slopes in desert grassland and oak woodlands.
Comments: Produces a flower stalk yearly. Spaniards called plant “desert spoon” because when pulled from the plant the dried leaf and its base resemble a cuchara or “spoon.” Bighorn sheep browse sotols. Heads contain a sugary sap that, when fermented, is used to produce a potent beverage called sotol. One species of Dasylirion in Arizona. Photograph taken at Madera Canyon, June 10. Unlike sharply pointed yucca leaves, sotol leaves have split ends; its flowers, unlike the large bell-shaped flowers of the yucca, are small.
POISON IVY
Toxicodendron rydbergii (Rhus radicans var. rydbergii)
Cashew Family (Anacardiaceae)
Height: An erect shrub to 2’, or an ascending vine with aerial roots.
Flowers: Greenish white; ¼” wide; in loose clusters to 3” long at lower leaf axils; followed by cluster of yellowish white, ¼” berrylike fruits.
Leaves: Dark green, compound, divided into 3 leaflets; usually shiny; oblong to lance-shaped to oval; notched or toothed; to 4” long. Immature leaves have red tinge.
Blooms: April–September.
Elevation: 3,000 to 8,000’.
Habitat: Rich soils in canyons, ravines, and disturbed areas.
Comments: Leaves turn reddish orange in fall. All parts of plant contain an oil that can cause skin eruptions. Remember: “Leaflets three, let it be.” Two species of Toxicodendron in Arizona. Photograph taken at Oak Creek Canyon, June 9.
SWEET CICELY
Sweet Root
Osmorhiza depauperata
Carrot Family (Apiaceae)
Height: To 30”.
Flowers: Tiny, greenish white, with 5 petals; to ¹⁄₁₆” wide, ³⁄₁₆” long; in clusters at ends of 2 to 5 long-spreading stalks; followed by narrow, hairy, cylindrical fruit with club-shaped tip, to ³⁄₈” long, on slender stem to ³⁄₈” long.
Leaves: Dark green, hairy, several times thricedivided; toothed, lobed; to 4” long, 6” wide.
Blooms: May–October.
Elevation: 7,000 to 10,000’.
Habitat: Moist, shady coniferous forests.
Comments: Perennial. Roots have aniselike flavor. Three species of Osmorhiza in Arizona. Photograph taken in vicinity of Mormon Lake, June 1.
ANTELOPE HORNS
Asclepias asperula
Milkweed Family (Asclepiadaceae)
Height: To 1’.
Flowers: Greenish yellow with maroon tinges; fragrant; to ½” wide, in cluster to 3” wide; followed by stout, 6”-long, green pod with olive-green and pink streaks.
Leaves: Dark green and narrow, with grayish stripe down midvein; to 6” long.
Blooms: April–August.
Elevation: 3,000 to 9,000’.
Habitat: Dry plains, slopes, and clearings in oak woodlands and pine forests.
Comments: Perennial herb; used medicinally. Twenty-nine species of Asclepias in Arizona. Photograph taken at Chiricahua National Monument, April 24.
CANYON RAGWEED
Ambrosia ambrosioides
Sunflower Family (Asteraceae)
Height: To 40”.
Flowers: Yellowish green, to ³⁄₈” wide, in terminal spike; followed by clusters of cocklebur-like fruit with slender spines; to 1” long.
Leaves: Green above and below, hairy; elongated to lance-shaped, saw-toothed; to 5” long, 1” wide.
Blooms: February–May.
Elevation: Below 4,500’.
Habitat: Sandy washes and canyons.
Comments: Branches are reddish brown with long white hairs. Fourteen species of Ambrosia in Arizona. Photograph taken in Superstition Mountains, March 26. A similar species, Giant Ragweed (Ambrosia trifida), is found in fields and along roadsides. Its abundant airborne pollen is dreaded by those who suffer with hay fever.
TRIANGLE-LEAF BURSAGE
Ambrosia deltoidea
Sunflower Family (Asteraceae)
Height: To 2’.
Flowers: Greenish, petalless, to ¼” wide; in terminal spike, followed by ¼”-long, burlike fruits with hook-tipped spines.
Leaves: Grayish green above, white and woolly beneath; triangular-shaped, finely toothed; to 1¼” long.
Blooms: December–April.
Elevation: 1,000 to 3,000’.
Habitat: Washes, gravelly slopes, and desert flats.
Comments: Perennial shrub. Causes severe hay fever in spring. Stabilizes soil. A “nurse” shrub for young cacti growing in its shade. Fourteen species of Ambrosia in Arizona. Photograph taken at Usery Mountain Recreation Area, February 14.
WHITE BURSAGE
Ambrosia dumosa
Sunflower Family (Asteraceae)
Height: To 2’.
Flowers: Greenish, petalless, to ¹⁄₈” wide, in terminal spike; followed by ¼”-long spiny fruits (not hooked).
Leaves: Smoky-colored due to dense, short hairs; pinnately divided several times into small divisions; to ¾” long.
Blooms: Late March–November.
Elevation: Below 3,000’.
Habitat: Dry plains and mesas.
Comments: Rounded, many-branched shrub with short, dense, white hairs on branches. Eaten by burros, horses, and sheep. Fourteen species of Ambrosia in Arizona. Photograph taken at Salome, March 28.
COMMON COCKLEBUR
Xanthium strumarium (Xanthium saccharatum)
Sunflower Family (Asteraceae)
Height: To 4’.
Flowers: Male: tiny, in clusters at top of stem; female: spiny, oval, brown burs to 1½” long in leaf axils. Bur encloses 2 female flowers covered with hundreds of stiff, hooked prickles.
Leaves: Yellowish green, heart-shaped, coarsely toothed; rough, glandular, long-stalked; to 14” long, 8” wide.
Blooms: June–October.
Elevation: 100 to 6,000’.
Habitat: Waste areas, roadsides, and cultivated fields.
Comments: This bushy annual is exotic to Arizona. Spiny burs get tangled in fur and fabric; 2 seeds inside each bur. Seeds and young plants are poisonous to livestock, especially chickens and hogs. Two species of Xanthium in Arizona. Photograph taken north of Payson, September 2.
THINLEAF ALDER
Black Alder
Alnus incana ssp. teniufolia (Alnus tenuifolia)
Birch Family (Betulaceae)
Height: Large shrub, or small tree to 25’.
Trunk: Several trunks to 6” in diameter.
Bark: Grayish, reddish brown, and scaly with age.
Flowers: Minute, male and female flowers in separate catkins on same tree; female flowers followed by small cones ³⁄₈” to ½” long.
Leaves: Dark green above, yellowish and slightly hairy beneath; egg-shaped to oblong, rounded at base; doubly toothed margins, bent stem; to 4” long, to 2½” wide.
Blooms: Early spring.
Elevation: 7,000 to 9,000’.
Habitat: Along streams and in moist meadows in ponderosa pine and spruce-fir forests.
Comments: Rounded crown. Thick and woody alder cones remain on trees. The Navajo used powdered bark to make red dye for wool. Deer, rabbits, and beaver eat alder bark; birds eat the seeds. Two species of Alnus in Arizona. Photograph taken south of Alpine, August 8. This alder recognizable by its oval to oblong leaves, which are rounded or heart-shaped at base.
ARIZONA ALDER
Mexican Alder
Alnus oblongifolia
Birch Family (Betulaceae)
Height: To 60’.
Trunk: To 3’ in diameter.
Bark: Dark gray, thin, and smooth; scaly with age.
Flowers: Minute, male and female flowers on separate catkins on same tree; female flowers followed by small cones to ½” long.
Leaves: Dark green above, paler and slightly hairy beneath; elliptical, narrowed at base, with doubly toothed margins; to 3” long, 2” wide.
Blooms: March.
Elevation: 4,500 to 7,500’.
Habitat: Along streams and canyons in ponderosa pine forests and oak woodlands.
Comments: Rounded crown. Alders add nitrogen to soil thus improving it. Two species of Alnus in Arizona. Photograph taken at Lynx Creek, Prescott, September 11. This alder recognizable by more elliptical leaves, which gradually narrow at base.
GREEN-FLOWERED MACROMERIA
Macromeria viridiflora
Forget-me-not Family (Boraginaceae)
Height: To 4’.
Flowers: Yellowish to greenish white, narrow, 5-lobed; very hairy, trumpet-shaped, and drooping; to 2½” long, in clusters at ends of branches.
Leaves: Grayish green, prominently veined, very hairy, lance-shaped to 7” long.
Blooms: July–September.
Elevation: 6,000 to 9,000’.
Habitat: Roadsides, rocky slopes, and valleys in coniferous forests.
Comments: Dried flowers and leaves mixed with wild tobacco are used by Hopi Indians during rainmaking ceremonies. One species of Macromeria in Arizona. Photograph taken south of Alpine, June 30.
SHE-OAK
Beefwood
Casuarina equisetifolia
Casuarina Family (Casuarinaceae)
Height: To 100’.
Trunk: To 30” in diameter.
Bark: Reddish brown, deeply furrowed on mature trees.
Flowers: Tiny, male and female on separate trees. Female flowers followed by brownish, hard, warty, conelike fruit which grow to ½” in diameter.
Leaves: Grayish green, scalelike; in whorls on drooping stems.
Blooms: Spring.
Habitat: Floodplains and moist areas.
Comments: Native to Australia. Fast-growing and long-lived. Branchlets are wirelike and jointed. Although not listed in A Catalogue of the Flora of Arizona, Casuarina is included here because of its massiveness and frequency in certain areas of Arizona. Photograph taken at Catalina State Park, April 15.
CANOTIA
Crucifixion-Thorn
Canotia holacantha
Bittersweet Family (Celastraceae)
Height: Spiny shrub, or small tree to 18’.
Trunk: To 8” in diameter.
Bark: Yellowish green; smooth when young, gray and rough with age.
Flowers: Greenish white, 5 petals, 5 stamens; to ¼” long; 3 to 5 in small cluster along branches; followed by reddish brown, egg-shaped, longpointed, 5-valved capsule, to ½” long, later splitting along 10 lines.
Leaves: Greenish, scalelike, short-lived, deciduous.
Blooms: May–August.
Elevation: 2,000 to 4,500’.
Habitat: Dry slopes and mesas in chaparral and desert.
Comments: The most common of the crucifixionthorns. Twigs are spine-tipped and form masses; very flexible when young, becoming rigid with age. Twigs and branches take the place of leaves in food manufacture. Fruit capsule persists until the following spring. One species of Canotia in Arizona. Photograph taken at Sedona, June 18.
MOUNTAIN LOVER
Oregon Boxwood
Paxistima myrsinites (Pachystima myrsinites)
Bittersweet Family (Celastraceae)
Height: Spreading shrub to 2’, usually shorter.
Flowers: Reddish brown, with 4 petals, 4 pointed sepals; to ¹⁄₈” wide; on ¼”-long stem; 2 or 3 in cluster in leaf axils; followed by green, oval fruit to ¹⁄₈” long.
Leaves: Dark green, shiny, thick; oval to elliptical, tooted; to 1” long.
Blooms: May–July.
Elevation: 6,000 to 10,000’.
Habitat: Coniferous forests in moist, shady locations.
Comments: Prostrate evergreen ground cover. Woody at base, with brownish stems. Browsed by deer. One species of Paxistima in Arizona. Photograph taken south of Alpine, June 30.
BLACK GREASEWOOD
Sarcobatus vermiculatus
Goosefoot Family (Chenopodiaceae)
Height: To 8’.
Flowers: Inconspicuous female flowers are borne in axils of leaves, followed by a green to tan, winglike, membranous disk surrounding the seeds. Male flowers are in conelike spikes at branch ends.
Leaves: Grayish green, fleshy, narrow; to 1¼” long, ¹⁄₁₆” wide; dense along branches.
Blooms: June–September.
Elevation: 1,000 to 6,000’.
Habitat: Alkaline soil.
Comments: Creosote bush is often incorrectly called greasewood, but this is actually the only true greasewood. It has white or tannish bark, many rigid branches, and salty tasting leaves. Browsed by cattle and sheep, but overeating causes bloating; also a favorite of jackrabbits. Native Americans used wood to make digging sticks for planting corn, and for dice and knitting needles. One species of Sarcobatus in Arizona. Photograph taken at Canyon de Chelly National Monument, June 27.
ROUNDLEAF BUFFALO BERRY
Lead Bush
Shepherdia rotundifolia
Oleaster Family (Elaeagnaceae)
Height: To 5’.
Flowers: Grayish green, petalless, tiny, inconspicuous; coated with grayish green scales; in leaf axils; followed by silvery, scaly, soft, juicy, eggshaped berry to ³⁄₈” long. Male and female flowers on separate plants.
Leaves: Silvery gray and covered with silvery scales above, white- or yellow-woolly and scaly beneath; curved under; thick, oval to roundish; to 1¼” long.
Blooms: May–June.
Elevation: 5,000 to 8,000’.
Habitat: Steep slopes in northern Arizona.
Comments: Evergreen shrub. Ripened fruit contains sweet, watery, yellowish juice. Berries eaten by birds, bears, and small mammals; also used for making jelly. Salve made from plant to treat sheep eye irritation. Three species of Shepherdia in Arizona. Photograph taken at North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, June 25.
WOODLAND PINEDROPS
Pterospora andromedea
Heather Family (Ericaceae)
Height: To 40’.
Flowers: Yellowish brown, urn-shaped, nodding; to ¼” long; loosely scattered along erect airy, sticky, reddish brown, leafless stem.
Leaves: Brown and scalelike.
Blooms: June–September.
Elevation: 6,000 to 9,500’.
Habitat: Rich soil in coniferous forests.
Comments: Lacks chlorophyll. A saprophytic herb feeding on decaying plant matter in soil. Roots are like matted hair. Plant feels sticky when touched. Some taxonomists choose to separate this species into the family Monotropaceae. One species of Pterospora in Arizona. Photograph taken at Greer, September 11.
DESERT POINSETTIA
Beetle Spurge
Euphorbia eriantha
Spurge Family (Euphorbiaceae)
Height: To 15”.
Flowers: Greenish, tiny, clustered in center of floral leaves.
Leaves: Bronze-green, slender; to 3” long; issue from stem. Threadlike floral leaves emerge from flower cluster.
Blooms: February–October.
Elevation: 300 to 3,500’.
Habitat: Dry desert areas in the shelter of small shrubs.
Comments: Produces a milky sap. More than three dozen species of Euphorbia in Arizona. Photograph taken at Usery Mountain Recreation Area, February 14.
ARIZONA WHITE OAK
Roble
Quercus arizonica
Beech Family (Fagaceae)
Height: To 60’.
Trunk: To 3’ in diameter.
Bark: Light gray, fissured into thick plates.
Flowers: Tiny; male and female on same tree. Male: drooping catkin; female in short spike, followed by light brown, to 1”-long acorn, with lower half partly covered by hairy-scaled, shallow, bowl-like cup.
Leaves: Dull blue green, with sunken veins above; lighter color, densely haired with brownish yellow fuzz and raised veins beneath. Broadly oval, thick, and stiff; margins slightly wavy and toothed toward apex; to 3” long.
Blooms: Spring.
Elevation: 5,000 to 7,500’.
Habitat: Oak woodlands, foothills, mountains, and canyons.
Comments: Evergreen; among the largest southwestern oaks. New leaves emerge when old leaves drop in May. Rounded crown. Found to occasionally hybridize with Gambel Oak (Quercus gambelii) (page 367) and Gray Oak (Quercus grisea). More than a dozen species of Quercus in Arizona. Photograph taken at Harshaw, April 27.
EMORY OAK
Bellota
Quercus emoryi
Beech Family (Fagaceae)
Height: Shrub, small or large tree to 50’.
Trunk: To 2½’ in diameter.
Bark: Black to gray and thick, in rectangular plates.
Flowers: Tiny; male and female on same tree. Male in drooping catkin, female in short spike; followed by brownish, oblong, ¾”-long acorn, with lower third covered by a hairy cup.
Leaves: Yellowish green on both sides; shiny, thick, stiff, and leathery; broadly lance-shaped, with spiny tip, some spiny teeth on margins; base of leaf blade is fuzzy where it joins stem on over half-mature leaves; to 2½” long.
Blooms: Spring.
Elevation: 4,000 to 7,000’.
Habitat: Moist canyons and dry foothills.
Comments: Evergreen; found from southeastern to central Arizona. An important source of firewood in southern Arizona. Acorns (bellota in Spanish) mature in first year. Sweet and tasty, they are eaten by wildlife as well as by people, in particular Native Americans and Hispanics of the region. More than a dozen species of Quercus in Arizona. Photograph taken at Harshaw, April 27. The shiny yellow-green, hairless, spiny-toothed leaves are distinguishing features of this oak.
GAMBEL OAK
Quercus gambelii
Beech Family (Fagaceae)
Height: Shrub to 6 ½’, tree to 50’.
Trunk: To 2½’ in diameter.
Bark: Gray, thick, deeply furrowed or scaly.
Flowers: Very tiny; male and female on same tree. Male in drooping catkin, female in short spike; followed by brownish, broadly oval, ¾”-long acorn, with lower half covered by hairy scales, bowl-like cup.
Leaves: Dark green and smooth above, lighter green and with soft hairs beneath; oblong, with 7 to 11 rounded lobes; to 6” long.
Blooms: Spring.
Elevation: 5,000 to 8,000’.
Habitat: Mountains and plateaus in ponderosa forests.
Comments: Deciduous; with rounded crown. Turns yellow and reddish in autumn before leaves fall. Known to hybridize with Shrub Live Oak (Quercus turbinella) (page 369); see also Wavyleaf Oak (page 370). Also found to occasionally hybridize with Arizona White Oak (Quercus arizonica) (page 366) and Havard Oak (Quercus havardii). More than a dozen species of Quercus in Arizona. Photograph taken near Ashurst Lake, September 5. Has a distinctive, lobed leaf for an Arizona oak.
SILVERLEAF OAK
Quercus hypoleucoides
Beech Family (Fagaceae)
Height: Tree to 60’.
Trunk: To 2½’ in diameter.
Bark: Blackish, deeply furrowed into plates and ridges.
Flowers: Tiny; males in drooping clusters, females in short spikes; followed by egg-shaped acorn with thick, scaly cup; to ⁵⁄₈” long.
Leaves: Yellow-green and shiny above, silvery white and woolly beneath; lance-shaped, leathery, with edges rolled under; evergreen; to 4” long, 1” wide.
Blooms: April–May.
Elevation: 5,000 to 7,000’.
Habitat: Mountain slopes and canyons in oak woodlands.
Comments: Acorns mature in 1 or 2 years. Found in southern Arizona. More than a dozen species of Quercus in Arizona. Photograph taken at Chiricahua National Monument, April 25. An easily recognizable oak by its narrow, yellow-green leaves with silvery undersides.
MEXICAN BLUE OAK
Quercus oblongifolia
Beech Family (Fagaceae)
Height: To 30’.
Trunk: To 18” in diameter.
Bark: Gray, fissured in square plates.
Flowers: Tiny; males in drooping clusters, females in short spikes; followed by egg-shaped acorn, ¾” long, ⅓ enclosed by scaly cup; 1 to a stalk (sometimes stalkless).
Leaves: Blue-green above, paler beneath; evergreen, stiff, hairless, and toothless; rounded at both ends; short-stalked; to 2” long.
Blooms: April–May.
Elevation: 4,000 to 6,000’.
Habitat: Oak woodlands at upper edge of desert; foothills and canyons of southern Arizona.
Comments: Has spreading, rounded crown. Acorns mature first year. Leaves fall in spring when new leaves appear. Browsed by deer. More than a dozen species of Quercus in Arizona. Photograph taken in vicinity of Mount Lemmon, April 30. Identifiable by blue-green, rounded, toothless, hairless leaves.
PALMER OAK
Quercus palmeri (Quercus dunnii & Quercus chrysolepis var. palmeri)
Beech Family (Fagaceae)
Height: Shrub, or small tree to 20’.
Trunk: To 4” in diameter.
Bark: Grayish or brown, smooth or scaly.
Flowers: Tiny; males in drooping clusters, females in short spikes; followed by a narrow or broad acorn to 1½” long with an oversized cup, coated with golden hairs, variable.
Leaves: Yellowish green; shiny above, yellowish beneath; elliptical to oval; stiff, leathery, spinytoothed (hollylike) or untoothed and short-pointed; to 1½” long.
Blooms: April–May.
Elevation: 3,500 to 7,000’.
Habitat: Mountainsides, canyons, and oak woodlands.
Comments: Has broad crown. Acorns take 2 years to mature. More than a dozen species of Quercus in Arizona. Photograph taken along East Verde River north of Payson, September 2.
NETLEAF OAK
Quercus rugosa (Quercus reticulata)
Beech Family (Fagaceae)
Height: Tree to 40’.
Trunk: To 1’ in diameter.
Bark: Gray, fissured, scaly.
Flowers: Tiny; males in narrow, drooping clusters, females in leaf axils; followed by two or three ¾”long oblong acorns, ¼ of each enclosed in scaly cup on long, slender stalk.
Leaves: Dark green; finely haired, with sunken veins above, yellow-haired with raised veins beneath; stiff, thick, broad, variable in size and shape; a few spiny teeth toward rounded tip; notched at base; to 2¾” long.
Blooms: April–May.
Elevation: 4,000 to 8,000’.
Habitat: Canyons, mountain slopes, and oak woodlands.
Comments: Has broad, rounded crown. Acorns mature first year; are eaten by wildlife. More than a dozen species of Quercus in Arizona. Photograph taken at Chiricahua National Monument, April 25. Recognizable by broadness of leaf at tip end and by prominent network of leaf veins.
SHRUB LIVE OAK
Scrub Oak
Quercus turbinella
Beech Family (Fagaceae)
Height: Many-branched shrub or small tree to 13’.
Bark: Gray, scaly, fissured.
Flowers: Tiny; male and female on same tree. Male in drooping catkin, female in short spike; followed by brownish; narrow, pointed ¾”-long acorn in shallow, scaly cup.
Leaves: Bluish green with a bloom (delicate powdery coating); nearly hairless above, yellowish green and finely haired beneath; elliptical to oblong, thick, stiff; margins have small, spinelike teeth; evergreen; to 1¼” long.
Blooms: Spring.
Elevation: 4,500 to 8,000’.
Habitat: Lower ponderosa forests, hillsides, and chaparral.
Comments: Characteristic tree of Arizona chaparral. Often forms dense thickets. Retards soil erosion. Provides browse for livestock, acorns for wildlife. Known to hybridize with Gambel Oak (Quercus gambelii) (page 367); see Wavyleaf Oak (page 370). More than a dozen species of Quercus in Arizona. Photograph taken at Oak Creek Canyon, September 9. Identifiable by spiny-toothed, thick, stiff leaves with whitish bloom.
WAVYLEAF OAK
Shin
Oak Quercus × pauciloba (Quercus undulata)
Beech Family (Fagaceae)
Height: Shrub to 6’, tree to 15’.
Trunk: To 4” in diameter.
Bark: Light gray and scaly.
Flowers: Tiny; male in drooping cluster, female in short spike, followed by oblong acorn to ⁷⁄₈” long with deep cup.
Leaves: Grayish green, pinkish velvety cast when young; evergreen, wavy-margined; variable in shape, elliptical or oblong; wavy-lobed or toothed; to 2½” long.
Blooms: April–May.
Elevation: 6,000 to 9,000’.
Habitat: Mountainsides and canyons.
Comments: Often found in burned areas. A natural hybrid between Gambel Oak (Quercus gambelii) (page 367) and Shrub Live Oak (Quercus turbinella) (page 369). Over a dozen species of Quercus in Arizona. Photograph taken in Santa Catalina Mountains, April 30. Recognizable by shallow, wavy lobes of leaf.
QUININE BUSH
Silktassel Bush
Garrya flavescens
Silktassel Family (Garryaceae)
Height: To 6’.
Flowers: Small, petalless, abundant; in a dense, drooping, grayish green tassel of bell-like, hairy bracts; tassel to 4” long; followed by a grapelike cluster of berrylike fruits. Each fruit is round to oval, downy-covered, pointed at tip; to ½” long, ⁵⁄₁₆” wide; cluster is up to 3” long. Male and female flowers are on separate plants.
Leaves: Dull grayish green; leathery, thick; woolly hair is silky to the touch; untoothed, opposite, oval to elliptical; evergreen; to 4” long, to 2” wide.
Blooms: January–April.
Elevation: 2,500 to 7,000’.
Habitat: Dry mountain slopes and canyons in woodlands and chaparral.
Comments: Garryin, an alkaloid derived from several Garrya species, has medicinal uses. The leaves on G. flavescens are larger, covered with silky hairs, and appear much grayer than those of Wright Silktassel (Garrya wrightii) (page 371). Two species of Garrya in Arizona. Photograph taken at Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona, June 8.
WRIGHT SILKTASSEL
Garrya wrightii
Silktassel Family (Garryaceae)
Height: To 15’.
Flowers: Small, petalless, few in number, in a loose, hanging, grayish green tassel; followed by roundish fruit to ⅓” in diameter, dark bluish purple when mature.
Leaves: Light greenish gray, elliptical, rough, evergreen; untoothed, leathery, opposite and alternate; to 2” long.
Blooms: March–August.
Elevation: 3,000 to 8,000’.
Habitat: Dry slopes.
Comments: A small amount of rubber can be extracted from this plant. Browsed by deer. Two species of Garrya in Arizona. Photograph taken on Mount Graham, May 3.
UTAH SWERTIA
Frasera paniculata (Swertia utahensis)
Gentian Family (Gentianaceae)
Height: To 3’.
Flowers: Yellowish green with purple streaks and dots; greenish at tip of lobes; 4 lobes, each with an elongated, basal gland lined with yellowish hairs; to 1” wide; in loose, terminal raceme.
Leaves: Dark green with white margins; narrowleaved, basal, wavy margined; to 3” long.
Blooms: June–September.
Elevation: 4,000 to 7,500’.
Habitat: Sandy washes and dunes.
Comments: Perennial herb. Has erect stem. Four species of Frasera in Arizona. Photograph taken at Dead Horse Ranch State Park, May 28.
DEERS EARS
Elkweed
Frasera speciosa (Swertia radiata)
Gentian Family (Gentianaceae)
Height: To 6’.
Flowers: Greenish white dotted with purple; star-shaped; 4-lobed with 2 fringed glands on each lobe; in leaf axils on stem; to 1½” wide, in elongated cluster.
Leaves: Light green, in whorls of 4 to 6; linear to lance-shaped; to 12” at base, diminishing in size upward on stem.
Blooms: May–August.
Elevation: 5,000 to 10,000’.
Habitat: Rich soil in open pine forests and mixed aspen-conifer forests.
Comments: Perennial herb. Four species of Frasera in Arizona. Photograph taken near Payson, June 10.
WHITE-STEM GOOSEBERRY
Ribes inerme
Currant Family (Grossulariaceae)
Height: To 5’.
Flowers: Greenish to purplish sepals, with hidden petals; bell-shaped; up to 3 flowers on stems in leaf axils; followed by round, striped, smooth berry, to ¼” in diameter; turning purplish red when mature.
Leaves: Dark green above and beneath, 3- to 5-lobed, toothed; to 1½” wide.
Blooms: April–May.
Elevation: 7,000 to 8,500’.
Habitat: Clearings in pine forests.
Comments: Deciduous plant, with whitish stems; greenish spines on stems to ½” long. Ten species of Ribes in Arizona. Photograph taken at North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, June 25.
ARIZONA WALNUT
Nogal
Juglans major var. major
Walnut Family (Juglandaceae)
Height: To 50’, but usually less.
Trunk: To 3’ in diameter.
Bark: Grayish brown, furrowed on mature trees.
Flowers: Greenish, male and female separate on same tree, male flowers are hanging catkin; female flowers in erect cluster; no petals; followed by round, brown-haired husks, to 1½” in diameter, each encasing a deeply grooved nutshell.
Leaves: Yellowish green, pinnately compound; 9 to 13 coarsely toothed, lance-shaped leaflets, each to 4” long, 1½” wide; leaf to 14” long.
Blooms: Before or during leaf development.
Elevation: 3,500 to 7,000’.
Habitat: Along streams and in canyons in upper desert, grasslands, and oak woodlands.
Comments: Deciduous. Rounded crown of widely spreading branches. Favorite of squirrels. Only species of Juglans in Arizona. Photograph taken at Mormon Lake, September 3.
WHITE MULBERRY
Russian Mulberry
Morus alba
Mulberry Family (Moraceae)
Height: To 40’.
Trunk: To 1’ in diameter.
Bark: Tan, smooth; on older trees furrowed into scaly ridges.
Flowers: Green, tiny, in short clusters; followed by pinkish white fruits, to ¾” long, maturing to dark purple.
Leaves: Dark green, broadly oval, toothed, longstalked; often 3- to 5-lobed; to 7” long, 5” wide.
Blooms: Spring.
Elevation: Not available. Photograph taken at 2,100’.
Habitat: Cities and lots.
Comments: This species of Morus was introduced from China; now naturalized throughout eastern and western U.S. Birds relish the fruits; also a main food source for silkworms. The Texas Mulberry (page 374) is the only native mulberry found in Arizona. Photograph taken at Hassayampa River Preserve, Wickenburg, May 7.
TEXAS MULBERRY
Morus microphylla
Mulberry Family (Moraceae)
Height: Shrub, or small tree to 20’.
Trunk: To 8” in diameter.
Bark: Pale gray, smooth, becoming scaly and fissured.
Flowers: Green, tiny, in dense catkins to ¾” long; male and female on separate trees; followed by red to black, ½”-long cylindrical fruits.
Leaves: Dark green above, paler and hairy beneath; variable in shape from oval to 3- to 5-lobed; coarsely saw-toothed; to 2½” long.
Blooms: March–April.
Elevation: 2,000 to 6,000’.
Habitat: Moist areas in upper desert; grasslands, and woodlands among streams, washes, and in canyons.
Comments: Fruits are juicy, acidic, and edible; eaten by humans as well as by wildlife. The Texas mulberry is the only native species of Morus in Arizona. Photograph taken at Catalina State Park, November 9.
NEW MEXICAN OLIVE
Wild Privet
Forestiera pubescens var. pubescens (Forestiera neomexicana)
Olive Family (Oleaceae)
Height: Sprawling shrub to 6’, or small tree to 10’.
Bark: Gray to light tan blotched with gray; reddish brown twigs.
Flowers: Tiny and petalless; followed by dark bluish green, oval fruits, to ¼” long, ³⁄₁₆” wide, in clusters on branches. Male and female on separate plants.
Leaves: Green to grayish green, opposite, alternate and in clusters; oval to elliptical but highly variable; minutely toothed or untoothed; to 1½” long.
Blooms: March–May.
Elevation: 2,000 to 7,000’.
Habitat: Hillsides, mesas, and lakeshores.
Comments: Very hard wood. Navajo Indians used wood for prayer sticks; the Hopi used wood as digging sticks. Two species of Forestiera in Arizona. Photograph taken at Wupatki National Monument, June 5.
DESERT OLIVE
Forestiera shrevei
Olive Family (Oleaceae)
Height: Shrub to 12’.
Bark: Gray or blackish, smooth.
Flowers: Greenish, dark purple anthers; to ¼” long; in small clusters; followed by brownish, egg-shaped, 1-seeded, fleshy fruit, to ³⁄₈” long. Male and female on separate plants.
Leaves: Green, finely haired on both surfaces, untoothed; opposite, margins rolled under, oblong or lance-shaped or reverse lance-shaped; to 1” long, ¼” wide.
Blooms: December–March.
Elevation: 2,500 to 4,500’.
Habitat: Dry, rocky slopes and desert canyons.
Comments: Evergreen or nearly so. Often forms dense thickets. Named for Charles Le Forestier, a French naturalist and physician. Two species of Forestiera in Arizona. Photograph taken in Kofa Mountains, February 22.
LOWELL ASH
Fraxinus anomala var. lowellii (Fraxinus lowellii)
Olive Family (Oleaceae)
Height: Shrub, or small tree to 25’.
Trunk: To 6” in diameter.
Bark: Grayish brown, deeply furrowed.
Flowers: Greenish, ¹⁄₈” long, in clusters to 1½” long; followed by light brown, long-winged, flattened “keys” (dry, 1-seeded, winged fruit); in clusters to 1½” long. Male and female on separate trees.
Leaves: Dark green, paired, pinnately compound; to 7” long: 3, 5, or 7 leaflets; oval but variable, with saw-toothed margins; slightly leathery; leaflets to 3” long.
Blooms: March–May.
Elevation: 3,200 to 6,500’.
Habitat: Along streams and in moist canyon soils in oak woodlands and upper desert areas in central Arizona.
Comments: Named for Percival Lowell, the famous astronomer, who first found this ash in Oak Creek Canyon. Seven species of Fraxinus in Arizona. Photograph taken at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, June 22.
VELVET ASH
Fresno
Fraxinus velutina (Fraxinus pennsylvanica ssp. velutina)
Olive Family (Oleaceae)
Height: To 30’.
Trunk: To 1’ in diameter.
Bark: Gray, and deeply furrowed into broad ridges.
Flowers: Small; male and female on different trees. Male flower is yellow; female is greenish, in clusters, followed by elliptical, long-winged “keys” or samaras to 1” long.
Leaves: Green, pinnately compound; with 5 to 9 elliptical to lance-shaped leaflets, each to 1½” long; margins with or without teeth; leaf to 6” long. Leaves vary greatly in all characteristics. Young leaves feel velvety, but velvet soon disappears.
Blooms: March–April.
Elevation: 2,000 to 7,000’.
Habitat: Along streams, in moist canyons, and along moist washes.
Comments: Deciduous; the most common ash of the Southwest; spreading branches and rounded crown. Flowers appear in spring before leaves. Birds and other animals eat seeds. Seven species of Fraxinus in Arizona. Photograph taken at Oak Creek Canyon, September 9.
SATYR ORCHID
Frog Orchid
Coeloglossum viride var. virescens (Habenaria viridis var. bracteata)
Orchid Family (Orchidaceae)
Height: To 2’.
Flowers: Greenish; flowers borne in narrow, elongated cluster. Upper sepal and 2 erect, pointed, lateral petals forming hood; rectangular-shaped, greenish yellow, 2- or 3-lobed lip pointing downward to ½” long; flower to ½” long; floral bract much longer than flower.
Leaves: Dark green, lance-shaped; alternate; clasping stem; to 6” long, 1” wide.
Blooms: July–August.
Elevation: Not available. Photograph taken at 8,700’.
Habitat: Moist spruce-fir forests.
Comments: One species of coeloglossum in Arizona. Photograph taken in mountains above Greer, July 8. This species recognizable by its very long flower bracts and rectangular lip with 2 or 3 lobes.
SPOTTED CORAL ROOT
Large Coral Root
Corallorhiza maculata
Orchid Family (Orchidaceae)
Height: To 20”.
Flowers: Brown to purplish red, orchidlike flowers along a purplish, leafless flower stem; lip creamcolored to white with purple spots; to ¾” long.
Leaves: Scalelike, tubular sheaths on stem.
Blooms: June–July.
Elevation: 6,000 to 10,000’.
Habitat: Coniferous forests.
Comments: Saprophytic orchid lacking chlorophyll. Has coral-like underground stem. Receives nourishment from a fungus that decomposes dead plant material. Three species of Corallorhiza in Arizona. Photograph taken near Greer, June 16.
SPRING CORAL ROOT
Corallorhiza wisteriana
Orchid Family (Orchidaceae)
Height: To 1’.
Flowers: Brown upper lobes and backward pointing spur; white lower lip petal with faint pink markings; unlobed lower lip projects noticeably forward and downward; flower to ¹⁄₈” wide, ½” long, in slender raceme.
Leaves: Leafless; reduced to scales.
Blooms: April–May.
Elevation: 6,000 to 8,000’.
Habitat: Hillsides and clearings in ponderosa pine forests.
Comments: A saprophyte lacking chlorophyll. Pinkish brown stem. Three species of Corallorhiza in Arizona. Photograph taken in Sharp Creek area northeast of Christopher Creek, April 22.
ADDER’S MOUTH
Malaxis macrostachya (Malaxis soulei)
Orchid Family (Orchidaceae)
Height: To 6”.
Flowers: Yellowish green, less than ¹⁄₈” long, clustered on single flower spike to 4” long.
Leaves: Dark green, single, oval; clasping stem; to 3” long.
Blooms: July–September.
Elevation: 6,000 to 9,500’.
Habitat: Mixed conifer forests.
Comments: Grows from a corm. Five species of Malaxis in Arizona. Photograph taken south of Alpine, August 2.
SPARSELY-FLOWERED BOG ORCHID
Northern Rein Orchid
Platanthera sparsiflora (Habenaria sparsiflora)
Orchid Family (Orchidaceae)
Height: To 30”.
Flowers: Greenish to yellowish, slender spur as long as or longer than lip petal; to ¼” wide, ¾” long, in elongated and loosely flowered flower spike.
Leaves: Light green, fleshy, clasping stem; straplike to lance-shaped; alternate; to 7½” long, at intervals on flower stalk.
Blooms: June–October.
Elevation: 5,000 to 9,000’.
Habitat: Wet, boggy areas and moist ledges in coniferous forests.
Comments: Six species of Plantanthera in Arizona. Photograph taken in Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona, June 8.
SLENDER BOG ORCHID
Rein Orchid
Platanthera stricta (Habenaria saccata)
Orchid Family (Orchidaceae)
Height: To 3’.
Flowers: Light green, with 3 petals and 3 sepals; orchidlike, lower petal (called the “lip”) is long and curved upward; flower to ³⁄₈” long, in long, narrow, loosely flowered spike.
Leaves: Dark green, sunken midvein; alternate, lance-shaped; clasping stem; to 10” long, 1½” wide.
Blooms: July–September.
Elevation: 8,500 to 9,500’.
Habitat: Moist spruce-fir forests and along mountain streams in coniferous forests.
Comments: Six species of Platanthera in Arizona. Photograph taken in mountains above Greer, August 9.
POKEBERRY
Pokeweed
Phytolacca americana var. americana
Pokeberry Family (Phytolaccaceae)
Height: To 10’, but usually to 6’.
Flowers: Greenish white to pinkish, petals absent, 5 sepals; to ¼” wide, in terminal raceme, followed at maturity by dark purplish to black ¼” berries in drooping cluster.
Leaves: Dark green, oval to lance-shaped, smooth; to 9” long.
Blooms: August.
Elevation: 4,000 to 6,000’ in Chiricahua Mountains.
Habitat: Clearings, roadsides, and open woods.
Comments: A branched, perennial herb. Likely introduced to Arizona from eastern U.S. Root is used medicinally. Stems become reddish in fall. Berries are poisonous, and leave a purple stain when overly ripened. Three species of Phytolacca in Arizona. Photograph taken in northeastern U.S. where this same species is found.
BUCKHORN PLANTAIN
Ribwort
Plantago lanceolata
Plantain Family (Plantaginaceae)
Height: To 24”.
Flowers: Greenish white, to ¹⁄₈” long; spirally arranged in a dense, terminal spike, to 1½” long, on tall, leafless stalk; stamens projecting from hairlike stalks with cream-colored anthers at ends; followed by tiny, brown, 2-seeded capsule.
Leaves: Dark green; lancelike, in basal cluster; to 16” long.
Blooms: April–September.
Elevation: Widely distributed.
Habitat: Meadows, fields, and leaves.
Comments: Considered a weed. Native to Europe; now naturalized in U.S. Twenty-one species of Plantago in Arizona.
ARIZONA SYCAMORE
Platanus wrightii
Plane Tree Family (Platanaceae)
Height: To 80’.
Trunk: To 4’ or more in diameter.
Bark: On branches, whitish, smooth, and thin; on trunk and very large branches, whitish and peeling in brownish flakes; on very large, old trunks, dark gray with odd-shaped, thick plates that hang loose.
Flowers: Inconspicuous; male and female flowers in separate, dense, round clusters of 2 to 4. The female cluster matures into light brown, hairy, globular, seed head; to 1” in diameter; with 2 to 4 along a raceme to 8” long.
Leaves: Light green above, paler beneath, with small hairs; palmately lobed, divided into 3, 5, or 7 narrow, pointed lobes; to 10” long and wide.
Blooms: March–April.
Elevation: 2,000 to 6,000’.
Habitat: Along streams and in rocky canyons.
Comments: Deciduous. Tree has large, spreading branches and broad, open crown. Its roots help slow down soil erosion along stream banks. Small owls and other birds nest in the hollows of old branches. One species of Platanus in Arizona. Photograph taken north of Payson, June 3.
CURLY DOCK
Rumex crispus
Buckwheat Family (Polygonaceae)
Height: To 4’.
Flowers: Small, yellowish green, with 6 sepals in 2 circles (inner 3 enlarge to become the fruit), later becoming rosy-colored; in long, loose clusters on upper branches, followed by small, reddish brown fruits to ¼” long.
Leaves: Dark green to bluish green, lance-shaped, wavy-curled margins; alternate on stem, mostly basal; to 1’ long.
Blooms: May–October.
Elevation: 100 to 8,000’.
Habitat: Moist soil along streams, roadsides, ditches, and in pastures.
Comments: A perennial herb and a weed, occasionally used as a potherb. Native to Eurasia, it is now naturalized. Has deep taproot and reddish stems. Fifteen species of Rumex in Arizona. Photograph taken in vicinity of Prescott, June 7.
FENDLER’S MEADOW RUE
Thalictrum fendleri
Buttercup Family (Ranunculaceae)
Height: To 3’.
Flowers: Petalless; greenish to yellowish stamens on purplish, threadlike stalks; to ³⁄₈” wide. Male and female flowers on separate plants; male flowers resemble miniature tassels, female flowers are tiny clusters.
Leaves: Green, fernlike, delicate; thin, stalked, compound; divided several times into leaflets wider than long; to 1½” long.
Blooms: May–August.
Elevation: 5,000 to 9,500’.
Habitat: Pine and spruce-fir forests.
Comments: Perennial herb. Two species of Thalictrum in Arizona. Photograph taken at Greer, July 5. A similar species, Waxyleaf Meadow-Rue (Thalictrum revolutum) has thick, rigid leaflets that are more long than wide, and white stamens.
CALIFORNIA SNAKE BUSH
Snakewood
Colubrina californica
Buckthorn Family (Rhamnaceae)
Height: To 10’.
Flowers: Greenish or yellowish, inconspicuous; to ¹⁄₈” wide; solitary or in small cluster; followed by round, light brown, woody, 3-celled, drupelike seed capsule to ¼” in diameter.
Leaves: Light green; finely haired, especially on margins; prominent sunken veins on upper surface; untoothed; oval, elliptical to oblong; to ½” long, ³⁄₈” wide.
Blooms: June–August.
Elevation: 2,000 to 3,000’.
Habitat: Along desert washes and on dry, rocky slopes.
Comments: Young twigs are pinkish, with short hairs; older branches are light gray. Has spines at tips of branches. One species of Colubrina in Arizona. Photograph taken in Kofa Mountains, March 6.
BITTER CONDALIA
Condalia globosa var. pubescens
Buckthorn Family (Rhamnaceae)
Height: Shrub, or small tree to 20’.
Trunk: To 1’ in diameter.
Bark: Brownish gray, thin, fissured, shreddy.
Flowers: 5 yellowish green, pointed sepals; cupshaped, petalless, fragrant; less than ¹⁄₈” wide; in leaf axils, followed by dark blue to blackish, juicy, bitter, berrylike fruit to ¼” in diameter in spring, when maturing.
Leaves: Yellowish green, usually finely haired, toothless; spoon-shaped; to ½” long, ¼” wide; occurring singly or in small clusters on branches.
Blooms: March or in the fall.
Elevation: 1,000 to 2,500’.
Habitat: Dry, sandy plains, along desert washes, and on rocky slopes.
Comments: Spine-tipped, many spreading branches. Six species of Condalia in Arizona. Photograph taken at Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, March 23. Native to southwestern Arizona.
WARNOCK CONDALIA
Condalia warnockii var. kearneyana
Buckthorn Family (Rhamnaceae)
Height: To 5’.
Flowers: Tiny and petalless; solitary or in cluster; 5 stamens; followed by roundish, dark red fruit, to ¼” in diameter.
Leaves: Dark green, alternate, spatula-shaped or elliptical; to ³⁄₁₆” long, ¹⁄₁₆” wide; crowded together on branches.
Blooms: Spring.
Elevation: 2,500 to 4,500’.
Habitat: Sandy or gravelly slopes and mesas.
Comments: Has thorn-tipped branches. Four species of Condalia in Arizona. Photograph taken at Catalina State Park, April 2.
BIRCHLEAF BUCKTHORN
Coffeeberry
Frangula betulifolia ssp. betulifolia (Rhamnus betulaefolia)
Buckthorn Family (Rhamnaceae)
Height: To 8’.
Trunk: Shrub to 4” in diameter.
Bark: Smooth, gray.
Flowers: Greenish, with 5 joined, pointed lobes; slightly hairy; to ¹⁄₈” wide; in clusters in leaf axils; followed by shiny, blackish purple fruits (in the fall); to ³⁄₈” in diameter.
Leaves: Deciduous; bright green and shiny above, lighter green and very finely haired beneath; broadly oblong to egg-shaped; prominent veins beneath are reddish pink, blunt or short-pointed at tip; very finely toothed or not toothed; thin, edges not rolled under; to 4” long.
Blooms: May–June.
Elevation: 3,500 to 7,500’.
Habitat: Canyons, along streams in oak woodlands, and ponderosa pine forests.
Comments: Non-thorny, with reddish brown stems. (Older stems are dark red.) Leaves resemble birch leaves. Native Americans chewed inner bark as a medicine and ate the fruits. Fruits eaten by wildlife; foliage and twigs browsed by deer and other wildlife. Three species of Frangula in Arizona. Photograph taken at Oak Creek Canyon, May 29. A similar species, California Buckthorn (Frangula californica) (page 384), has thicker, narrower, evergreen leaves, which are slightly rolled under on margins.
CALIFORNIA BUCKTHORN
Coffeeberry
Frangula californica (Rhamnus californica)
Buckthorn Family (Rhamnaceae)
Height: To 20’, but commonly to 10’.
Trunk: To 6” in diameter, generally less.
Bark: Pinkish when young, gray and smooth with age.
Flowers: Greenish, with 5 joined, pointed lobes; slightly hairy; to ¹⁄₈” wide; in clusters in leaf axils; followed by shiny, juicy berries to ³⁄₈” in diameter; in small cluster; changing from green to red to black in fall.
Leaves: Dull green above, paler green and hairy beneath; elliptical to oval, short-pointed at tips; evergreen, very finely toothed; thick and leathery; prominent veins beneath; edges slightly rolled under; to 3” long; on pinkish stem.
Blooms: May–June.
Elevation: 3,500 to 6,500’.
Habitat: Canyons, ponderosa pine forests, and mountainsides.
Comments: Birds, bears, and deer feed on fruits. Three species of Frangula in Arizona. Photograph taken near Christopher Creek, September 27. A similar species, Birchleaf Buckthorn (Frangula betulifolia) (page 383), has thinner, wider, deciduous leaves, which are not rolled under on margins.
HOLLYLEAF BUCKTHORN
Redberry Buckthorn
Rhamnus crocea
Buckthorn Family (Rhamnaceae)
Height: Shrub, or small tree to 15’.
Bark: Dark gray, rough, fissured.
Flowers: Yellowish green, with 5 joined, pointed lobes; to ¹⁄₈” wide; in clusters in leaf axils, followed by bright red, ¼” diameter, juicy fruits in fall. Male and female on different plants.
Leaves: Shiny, yellow-green above, paler beneath; hollylike, oval to nearly round; spiny-toothed, leathery; to 1½” long.
Blooms: March–May.
Elevation: 3,000 to 7,000’.
Habitat: Chaparral and lower elevation ponderosa pine forests.
Comments: Evergreen. A slow grower. Browsed by bighorn sheep and deer. Native Americans consumed fruits. Four species of Rhamnus in Arizona. Photograph taken in Superstition Mountains, April 6.
GRAY THORN
Lotebush
Ziziphus obtusifolia
Buckthorn Family (Rhamnaceae)
Height: Shrub to 10’.
Flowers: Whitish green, tiny, less than ¹⁄₈” long, in a stalked cluster, followed by round to elliptical fruits, to ¼” long, maturing to blue-black.
Leaves: Dark green, oblong, finely haired; to ¾” long, ³⁄₈” wide.
Blooms: May–September.
Elevation: 1,000 to 5,000’.
Habitat: Desert, grassland, and mesas.
Comments: Spiny-branched with gray bark. Fruits eaten by birds, especially white-winged doves and Gambel’s quail. Native Americans used parts of plant for medicinal purposes. Solution made from roots used as soap substitute. One species of Ziziphus in Arizona. Photograph taken at Tortilla flat, May 7.
CURL-LEAF MOUNTAIN MAHOGANY
Cercocarpus ledifolius
Rose Family (Rosaceae)
Height: Shrub or small tree to 25’.
Trunk: To 1’ in diameter.
Bark: Reddish brown, deeply furrowed, and scaly.
Flowers: Yellowish green, petalless, funnelshaped; 5-lobed, stalkless; to ³⁄₈” wide; growing at leaf bases; followed by reddish brown, narrow, ¼”-long fruit with twisted, 3”-long, hairy tail.
Leaves: Evergreen. Dark green above, hairy beneath; shiny, elliptical, thick, leathery; edges rolled under; almost stalkless; aromatic; grooved midvein; to 1¼” long, usually in clusters.
Blooms: April–June.
Elevation: 5,000 to 9,000’.
Habitat: Dry, rocky mountain slopes.
Comments: Evergreen, with very hard wood. Unrelated to true mahogany. Browsed by elk, deer, and livestock. Native Americans concocted a red dye from roots. Three species of Cercocarpus in Arizona. Photograph taken at Madera Canyon, April 29.
ALDERLEAF MOUNTAIN MAHOGANY
Cercocarpus montanus
Rose Family (Rosaceae)
Height: To 10’.
Flowers: Greenish, petalless, with green sepals forming a tube with pinkish, flared lobes; followed by ½”-long seed attached to fuzzy, spirally twisted tail to 3” long.
Leaves: Grayish green, paler green beneath; wedge-shaped, toothed on upper margins; deeply veined; to 1” long, ½” wide.
Blooms: Spring.
Elevation: 4,500 to 7,000’.
Habitat: Canyons and hillsides in pinyon-juniper and pine belts.
Comments: Hardwood shrub. Browsed by livestock, bighorns, and deer. Navajo Indians used shrub to make a red dye for wool. Three species of Cercocarpus in Arizona. Photograph taken at Canyon de Chelly National Monument, June 27.
BIRCHLEAF MOUNTAIN MAHOGANY
Hardtack
Cercocarpus montanus var. glaber (Cercocarpus betuloides)
Rose Family (Rosaceae)
Height: Shrub to 8’, or small tree to 20’.
Trunk: To 6” in diameter.
Bark: Gray or brown, smooth, becoming scaly.
Flowers: Yellowish green, petalless, funnelshaped, 5-lobed; nearly stalkless; to ³⁄₈” wide; 1 to 3 at leaf base, followed by narrow ³⁄₈” long fruit, with hairy, twisted tail, to 3¼” long.
Leaves: Evergreen; dark green above, paler and hairy beneath; elliptical, finely pointed, tapering toward base, toothed beyond middle; prominent sunken veins; short-stalked; to 1¼” long.
Blooms: March–July.
Elevation: 3,500 to 6,500’.
Habitat: Dry, rocky mountain slopes in oak and chaparral areas.
Comments: Crossbreeds with Hairy Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus var. paucidentatus) (page 387). Browsed by livestock, pronghorn, elk, and deer. Sharp end and twisted tail of hard fruit aid in penetration into soil. Three species of Cercocarpus in Arizona. Photograph taken north of Superior, April 20.
HAIRY MOUNTAIN MAHOGANY
Cercocarpus montanus var. paucidentatus (Cercocarpus breviflorus)
Rose Family (Rosaceae)
Height: Shrub or small tree to 15’.
Trunk: To 6” in diameter.
Bark: Gray to reddish brown and smooth, becoming fissured and scaly with age.
Flowers: Yellowish green, funnel-shaped, and petalless; 5-lobed; to ¼” wide, ½” long; 1 to 3 in leaf axils; followed by reddish brown, hairy, ¼”-long fruit with twisted tail of whitish hairs, to 1½” long.
Leaves: Evergreen, dark green and slightly hairy above, paler green and hairy beneath; elliptical, tapering to base; edges turned under, rounded teeth near tip; to 1” long, ½” wide.
Blooms: March–November.
Elevation: 5,000 to 8,000’.
Habitat: Dry slopes in chaparral and oak woodlands.
Comments: Has open crown. Browsed by deer and livestock. Three species of Cercocarpus in Arizona. Photograph taken at Lynx Lake, May 27.
BLACKBRUSH
Coleogyne ramosissima
Rose Family (Rosaceae)
Height: To 5’.
Flowers: Four yellowish green sepals, petalless, numerous stamens; to ³⁄₈” long; short-lived; solitary, at ends of short branchlets; followed by small, brown fruit capsule, to ½” long, which, when dried, reveals white hairs in center.
Leaves: Grayish green, hairy, narrow; somewhat thick, club-shaped; to ³⁄₈” long, ¹⁄₁₆” wide; in clusters all along branchlets.
Blooms: March–May.
Elevation: 3,000 to 6,500’.
Habitat: Dry, gravelly or sandy open plains and mesas.
Comments: A rigid, many-branched shrub, often with spiny-tipped ends. Its dark gray bark turns blackish with age and very black when wet. Gives a blackish appearance to the landscape when found in dense stands devoid of other shrubs. Browsed mainly by sheep, goats, and deer. Wrongly called burro-brush. One species of Coleogyne in Arizona. Photograph taken in Page area, June 26.
FREMONT COTTONWOOD
Alamo
Populus fremontii
Willow Family (Salicaceae)
Height: To 100’, but usually less.
Trunk: To 4’ in diameter, but usually less.
Bark: Branches on young trees are gray-brown, thin, and smooth; on old trees, dark reddish brown, thick, and deeply furrowed.
Flowers: Greenish yellow, tiny, male and female on separate trees (female forms long, slender catkins); to 4” long; followed by fuzzy-white, cottony seeds.
Leaves: Yellow-green, shiny, broadly triangular and pointed; nearly straight across base; coarsely toothed margins; to 2½” long, 3” wide.
Blooms: Early spring before leaves form.
Elevation: 150 to 6,000’.
Habitat: Along streams and moist areas.
Comments: In autumn, leaves turn golden yellow before falling. Wood used as fuel. Hopi Indians use roots for kachina dolls, wood for drums. A favorite of beavers for food and for dam building. Eight species of Populus in Arizona. Photograph taken at Saguaro Lake, October 18.
QUAKING ASPEN
Golden Aspen
Populus tremuloides
Willow Family (Salicaceae)
Height: Usually to 40’, rarely to 80’.
Trunk: Usually to 1’ in diameter, rarely to 30”.
Bark: Whitish or yellowish, waxy-appearing, smooth, thin. Older trees are dark gray, thick, furrowed.
Flowers: Tiny, inconspicuous, in catkins; male and female on separate trees; followed by cottony seeds on female trees.
Leaves: Almost round, short-pointed, finely sawtoothed; shiny green above, dull green beneath; leaf stalk longer than leaf blade and flattened lengthwise at right angles to leaf; to 3” long.
Blooms: Early spring before leaves form.
Elevation: 6,500 to 10,000’.
Habitat: Ponderosa pine and spruce-fir forests.
Comments: Every breeze causes slender, flattened leaf stalks to tremble. In autumn, leaves turn golden yellow or orange before falling. Browsed by livestock, deer, and elk; a favorite of beavers. Bark used medicinally by pioneers and Native Americans. Early growth in burned or logged areas, later replaced by conifers. Wood used mainly for paper pulp. Eight species of Populus in Arizona. Photograph taken near Willow Springs Lake, September 13.
BEBB WILLOW
Sauz
Salix bebbiana
Willow Family (Salicaceae)
Height: Usually much-branched shrub or small tree to 15’.
Trunk: To 6” in diameter.
Bark: Grayish, with reddish orange twigs. Smooth when young; rough and furrowed with age.
Flowers: Catkins on short, leafy twigs; to 1½” long.
Leaves: Dull green and finely haired above; whitish, finely haired and strongly net-veined beneath. Untoothed; elliptical or oblong; to 3½” long, 1” wide.
Blooms: Spring.
Elevation: 7,000 to 11,000’.
Habitat: Coniferous forests along stream, springs, and lakes.
Comments: Often forming clusters. Broad, rounded crown. Browsed by elk and deer, and used by beavers for food and dam building. Twigs used in making baskets and furniture. Extract from bark used medicinally. Nearly twenty species of Salix in Arizona. Photograph taken in Mormon Lake area, June 2.
BONPLAND WILLOW
Red Willow
Salix bonplandiana
Willow Family (Salicaceae)
Height: To 50’, usually to 25’.
Trunk: To 2’ in diameter.
Bark: Dark gray to black; ridged and fissured. Twigs are reddish purple.
Flowers: Tiny, in catkins, to 1½” long.
Leaves: Yellowish green above, shiny, whitish beneath; yellowish midrib; narrowly lance-shaped, long-pointed, broadest in middle; very finely toothed; to 6” long, ¾” wide.
Blooms: April.
Elevation: 3,000 to 5,000’.
Habitat: Wet soils along lakes and streams in southeastern and central Arizona.
Comments: Has broad, rounded crown. Branches droop at ends. Semi-evergreen; leaves shed irregularly during winter, rather than in fall like other willows. Browsed by deer and livestock; bark is eaten by beavers, rabbits, and small rodents. Nearly twenty species of Salix in Arizona. Photograph taken at Patagonia Lake State Park, April 27.
COYOTE WILLOW
Basket Willow
Salix exigua
Willow Family (Salicaceae)
Height: Shrub to 15’.
Trunk: To 5” in diameter.
Bark: Greenish; smooth when young, grayish brown with age.
Flowers: In catkins; hairy, with yellow scales; to 2½” long.
Leaves: Silvery-hairy on unfolding, later becoming dull grayish green and less hairy; very long and narrow, untoothed or with a few teeth; leaf to 4” long, to ¼” wide.
Blooms: Spring.
Elevation: To 9,500’.
Habitat: Along streams, silt flats, and riverbanks.
Comments: Rarely treelike. Often forms thickets of clustered stems. Prevents erosion. Browsed by livestock and wildlife. Twigs and bark used by Native Americans for basket making. Nearly twenty species of Salix in Arizona. Photograph taken at Lynx Creek, Prescott, May 27.
GOODDING WILLOW
Salix gooddingii
Willow Family (Salicaceae)
Height: To 45’.
Trunk: To 30” in diameter.
Bark: Gray, thick, rough, deeply furrowed with narrow ridges. Twigs are yellow.
Flowers: Tiny; in catkins to 3½” long; followed by cottony seeds.
Leaves: Shiny green or yellowish green, narrowly lance-shaped, long-pointed; slightly curved to one side, finely toothed; to 5” long, ¾” wide.
Blooms: March.
Elevation: Below 7,000’.
Habitat: Along streams.
Comments: Largest willow in Arizona. Has broad, rounded crown. Prevents stream erosion with its deep root system. Nearly twenty species of Salix in Arizona. Photograph taken near Granite Reef Dam, March 1.
SCOULER WILLOW
Salix scouleriana
Willow Family (Salicaceae)
Height: Large shrub to small tree, rarely a tree to 30’ tall.
Trunk: To 4” in diameter.
Bark: Grayish, smooth, and thin when young; dark brown and fissured with age.
Flowers: In catkins; nearly stalkless; stout; catkin to 2” long.
Leaves: Dark green, shiny above, whitish with grayish to reddish hairs beneath; midvein yellow; untoothed; elliptical but variable in shape; to 4” long, 1½” wide.
Blooms: April–May.
Elevation: 7,000 to 10,000’.
Habitat: Coniferous forests and clearings in moist or dry conditions.
Comments: Form clusters with rounded crown. Among the first trees to appear after a fire, stopping erosion and providing protection for developing conifers. Browsed by livestock and deer. Nearly twenty species of Salix in Arizona. Photograph taken at River Reservoir, Greer, July 5.
YEW-LEAF WILLOW
Salix taxifolia
Willow Family (Salicaceae)
Height: Shrub, or tree to 40’, but smaller in Arizona.
Trunk: To 18” in diameter.
Bark: Grayish brown, rough, and fissured.
Flowers: In catkins with yellowish, hairy scales; catkin to ¾” long.
Leaves: Grayish green, linear, needlelike; crowded along stems; to 2” long, ¹⁄₈” wide.
Blooms: March and occasionally again in fall.
Elevation: 3,500 to 6,000’.
Habitat: In oak woodlands and along streams and washes in mountains and foothills.
Comments: Compact, rounded crown. Browsed by livestock. Slow grower. Branches droop at tips. A soil binder. Nearly twenty species of Salix in Arizona. Photograph taken at Catalina State Park, November 10.
ALUM-ROOT
Heuchera eastwoodiae
Saxifrage Family (Saxifragaceae)
Height: Flower stalk to 20”.
Flowers: Yellowish green, without petals; pointed sepals, 6 short, yellow stamens; to ³⁄₁₆” wide; in loose, terminal raceme on weak, leafless stalk.
Leaves: Dark green, roundish, finely haired, and scalloped; to 3½” wide; basal, on long leaf stalks.
Blooms: May–August.
Elevation: 5,000 to 8,000’.
Habitat: Moist slopes in ponderosa pine forests and canyons.
Comments: Perennial herb; found in central Arizona. Six species of Heuchera in Arizona. Photograph taken at Black Canyon Lake, June 4.
TREE OF HEAVEN
Ailanthus altissima
Simarouba Family (Simaroubaceae)
Height: To 80’.
Trunk: To 2’ in diameter.
Bark: Dark gray, thin, rough.
Flowers: Yellowish green; to ¼” long; in large, dense, terminal cluster, to 10” long; followed by a reddish brown, twisted, winged fruit, to 1½” long; in very large, dense cluster. Male and female flowers on separate trees.
Leaves: Dark green, pinnately compound; to 2’ long, with 6 to 12 pairs of broadly lance-shaped, pointed leaflets, to 5” long, 2” wide, toothed at base.
Blooms: Spring.
Elevation: Not available. Photograph taken at 3,300’.
Habitat: Roadsides and wastelands.
Comments: Deciduous; native of China. Escapees from cultivation in the Southwest. Spreads from seeds and root suckers. Clusters of seeds hang on tree most of winter. Flowers of male trees have objectionable odor. One species of Ailanthus in Arizona. Photograph taken at Dead Horse Ranch State Park, September 9.
CRUCIFIXION THORN
Corona-De-Cristo
Castela emoryi (Holacantha emoryi)
Simarouba Family (Simaroubaceae)
Height: Small tree, or large shrub to 12’.
Flowers: Yellowish green, hairy, with 4 to 8 petals; yellow stamens, pinkish buds; to ³⁄₈” wide; occurring singly or in small cluster. Male and female flowers on separate plants; female flowers followed by a ring composed of 5 to 10 flattened, 1-seeded segments, to ¼” long, persisting for years on plant.
Leaves: Usually leafless; when present, very small or scalelike.
Blooms: June–July.
Elevation: 500 to 2,000’.
Habitat: Desert plains.
Comments: Grayish green, smooth, rigid twigs, up to 8” long and about ¼” in diameter, are tipped with sharp spines. Two species of Castela in Arizona. Photograph in flower taken at Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, May 27. Plant native mostly to the southwestern part of Arizona and elsewhere in state.
JOJOBA
Goatnut
Simmondsia chinensis
Jojoba Family (Simmondsiaceae)
Height: Shrub to 7’.
Flowers: Greenish yellow, tiny; male and female flowers on separate plants; male (staminate) in dense cluster producing much pollen; female (pistillate) to ½” long; followed by a green, hardshelled, acornlike capsule, to 1” long, turning tan at maturity.
Leaves: Grayish green, leathery, thick, and elliptical, to 1½” long.
Blooms: December–July; extremely variable.
Elevation: 1,000 to 5,000’.
Habitat: Along washes, on alluvial fans, and dry, rocky slopes.
Comments: Evergreen. Browsed by deer and bighorn sheep; rodents eat seeds. Native Americans and pioneers used seeds as food and as substitute for coffee; their bitter taste improved with roasting. Waxy oil from seeds used commercially in medicines and cosmetics. One species of Simmondsia in Arizona. Photograph taken in Mesa on January 31.
RABBIT THORN
Pale Wolfberry
Lycium pallidum var. pallidum
Nightshade Family (Solanaceae)
Height: To 6’.
Flowers: Greenish yellow, funnel-shaped, and 5-lobed, with lobes flaring outward; 5 stamens extending beyond corolla tube; to ¾” long, ⁵⁄₈” wide; followed by round, orange to red, juicy fruit, to ¼” in diameter.
Leaves: Bluish white to bluish green, spatulashaped to elliptical or oval; leathery, covered with bloom; to 3” long, ½” wide; in clusters on branches.
Blooms: April–June.
Elevation: 3,500 to 7,000’.
Habitat: Dry plains and slopes.
Comments: Has spines along branches. Browsed by livestock. The bitter fruits are eaten by birds, small animals, and people. Eleven species of Lycium in Arizona. Photograph taken in vicinity of Fort Bowie, May 8.
NARROWLEAF CATTAIL
Typha angustifolia
Cattail Family (Typhaceae)
Height: To 6’.
Flowers: Male: topmost, yellowish and minute, grow on clublike spike; to 5” long (after pollen sheds, spike is bare). Female: beneath male flowers, minute, in brownish cylinder; grow to 4” long. A definite bare space between male (staminate) and female (pistillate) flowers in this species.
Leaves: Dark green, erect, strap-like; to 6’ long, ½” wide.
Blooms: June–September.
Elevation: 1,000 to 5,500’.
Habitat: Marshy areas in shallow water and at marshy areas at lake edges.
Comments: Perennial herb. Prefers alkaline water. Three species of Typha in Arizona. Photograph taken at Lynx Lake, September 11.
COMMON CATTAIL
Typha latifolia
Cattail Family (Typhaceae)
Height: To 9’.
Flowers: Male: topmost; yellowish and minute, grow on clublike spike; to 6” long (after pollen sheds, spike is bare). Female: beneath male flowers, minute, in brownish cylinder; grow to 6” long. No space between male (staminate) and female (pistillate) flowers in this species.
Leaves: Dark green, flat, reedlike, erect, strap-like; to 9’ long, 2” wide.
Blooms: June–August.
Elevation: 3,500 to 7,500’.
Habitat: Marshy areas in shallow water, ponds, and edges of lakes.
Comments: Perennial herb. Leaves are used to weave mats. Pioneers used cattail fluff for bedding. Native Americans used rootstocks for food. Muskrats feed on rootstocks. Red-winged blackbirds, marsh wrens, and other birds make their nests among cattails. Three species of Typha in Arizona. Photograph taken at McNary, August 10.
NETLEAF HACKBERRY
Canyon Hackberry
Celtis reticulata
Elm Family (Ulmaceae)
Height: Large shrub, or small tree to 30’.
Trunk: To 1’ in diameter.
Bark: Gray, smooth; fissured and warty in older trees.
Flowers: Greenish, protrude from base of immature leaf, to ¹⁄₈” wide; followed by orange-red, sweet berry to ³⁄₈” in diameter, on long stem at each leaf axil.
Leaves: Dark green and rough above, yellow-green and slightly hairy with prominent veins beneath; growing in 2 rows; margins can be coarsely sawtoothed; thick, lopsided, usually oval, but variable; to 2½” long, 1½” wide.
Blooms: March–April.
Elevation: 1,500 to 6,000’.
Habitat: Moist soils along streams, in canyons, and on hillsides from upper desert to oak woodlands.
Comments: Deciduous; in autumn, leaves turn yellow before falling. Mites and fungi often cause deformed, bushy growths called “witches’-brooms” in branches. At times plant lice (psyllids) cause galls to form on leaves. Two species of Celtis in Arizona. Photograph taken at Patagonia Lake State Park, April 26.
SIBERIAN ELM
Ulmus pumila
Elm Family (Ulmaceae)
Height: To 60’, but smaller in Arizona.
Trunk: To 1½’ in diameter; less in Arizona.
Bark: Grayish or brown, rough, and furrowed.
Flowers: Greenish, petalless, to ¹⁄₈” wide; in clusters, appearing before leaves unfold; followed by a roundish, flat, wafer-like, notched fruit, to ½” wide, in small clusters on branches.
Leaves: Dark green with toothed margins; lopsided at base, narrowly elliptical; to 2½” long.
Blooms: Early spring.
Elevation: 1,000 to 5,000’.
Habitat: Dry or moist soils in woodlands and parks.
Comments: Introduced from northern China and eastern Siberia. Grown for shade and windbreaks, they seed prolifically and have naturalized in some areas. Browsed by deer. No native species of Ulmus grow in Arizona. Photograph taken at Lynx Creek, near Prescott, May 27.
TALL WHITE NETTLE
Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis (Urtica gracilis)
Nettle Family (Urticaceae)
Height: To 5’.
Flowers: Greenish white, tiny, petalless, to ¹⁄₈” wide; in threadlike, drooping clusters in leaf axils.
Leaves: Dark green, opposite, lance-shaped, with prominent, spiny veins; triangular-toothed; to 7” long.
Blooms: July–August.
Elevation: To 9,000’.
Habitat: Along streams and springs.
Comments: Has spiny stems. Three species of Urtica in Arizona. Photograph taken at Greer, July 5.
DWARF MISTLETOE
Arceuthobium microcarpum
Mistletoe Family (Viscaceae)
Dimension: Aerial parasitic green to purple shrub to 10” across.
Flowers: Male and female on separate plants. Flowers tiny and greenish brown. Oblong fruit ¹⁄₈” long, bicolored. Eaten and distributed primarily by birds or dispersed explosively (to over 40’).
Leaves: Reduced to minute scales.
Blooms: August–September.
Elevation: 7900 to 10,400’.
Habitat: Mixed conifer forests.
Comments: This evergreen is found at higher elevations and is parasitic on Spruce (Picea species) and Bristlecone Pine (Pinus aristata) (page 423). Nine species of Arceuthobium in Arizona. Photograph taken in mountains above Greer, August 7.
DESERT MISTLETOE
Phoradendron californicum
Mistletoe Family (Viscaceae)
Dimension: A mass in tree branches to 2’ in diameter.
Flowers: Yellowish green, inconspicuous but sweetly fragrant; male and female on separate plants. Fruits, pinkish berries, grow to ¹⁄₈” in diameter.
Leaves: Scalelike, with brownish yellow stems; densely clustered on branches of host tree.
Blooms: Spring.
Elevation: Below 4,000’.
Habitat: Deserts and foothills.
Comments: Evergreen. A partial parasite, mainly on leguminous trees and shrubs such as paloverde, mesquite, ironwood, and acacia, although also observed on creosote bush, jojoba, and other nonlegumes. Over time, often kills host plant by invading bark and sap with its roots, draining moisture and nutrients from host. Five species of Phoradendron in Arizona. Photograph taken in Superstition Mountains, February 4. American Mistletoe (Phoradendron serotinum ssp. macrophyllum), a mistletoe of higher elevations, has bright green, 2”-long, rounded leaves, and white berries, and resembles the “kissing” mistletoe of Christmas season. It parasitizes cottonwood, sycamore, oak, and willow trees.
JUNIPER MISTLETOE
Phoradendron juniperinum
Mistletoe Family (Viscaceae)
Dimension: A mass in juniper branches growing to 2’ in diameter.
Flowers: Greenish, inconspicuous; male and female on separate plants; white to pinkish berries.
Leaves: Triangular and scalelike with yellowish green stems; jointed, shiny, growing in dense clusters on branches of juniper trees.
Blooms: July–August.
Elevation: 4,000 to 7,000’.
Habitat: Juniper woodlands.
Comments: Evergreen. A parasite on several species of juniper, sapping nutrients from host plant with its modified roots, sometimes killing host plant. Birds feed on berries, carrying sticky seeds from tree to tree, thus spreading this parasite. This species used medicinally by Hopi Indians. Five species of Phoradendron in Arizona. Photograph taken east of Camp Verde, September 30.
VIRGINIA CREEPER
Woodbine
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Parthenocissus inserta)
Grape Family (Vitaceae)
Height: A woody vine climbing tree trunks and over walls.
Flowers: Greenish, inconspicuous, in clusters opposite the leaves; followed by bunches of bluish black berries to ¼” wide.
Leaves: Dark green, shiny; to 4” long; palmately compound, with 5 to 7 leaflets.
Blooms: May–September.
Elevation: 3,000 to 7,000’.
Habitat: Moist canyons and roadsides.
Comments: Deciduous; leaves turn red in fall. No aerial roots. Fruits eaten by birds and small mammals. Two species of Parthenocissus in Arizona. Photograph taken at Walnut Canyon National Monument, September 7.
CANYON GRAPE
Arizona Grape
Vitis arizonica
Grape Family (Vitaceae)
Height: A sprawling, scrambling, woody vine, with tendrils, often covering entire trees.
Flowers: Greenish white, small; followed by juicy, purple-black clusters of grapes. Male and female flowers on separate plants.
Leaves: Dark green, broadly heart-shaped, coarsely toothed; to 6” long, 4¾” wide.
Blooms: April–July.
Elevation: 2,000 to 7,500’.
Habitat: Along streams and in canyons.
Comments: Grapes used for making jelly, wine, and juice. Attractive to birds. One species of Vitis in Arizona. Photograph taken at Lynx Lake area, September 11.