Drought Proof Trees for Your California Yard

Droughts come and go in southern California — but we live in a desert, so another one is always waiting in the wings. That doesn’t mean that you can only plant cacti and palm trees in your yard, though. Plenty of drought-proof trees can help make your yard beautiful while remaining drought-resistant and conserving water.

Take a look at these fast-growing trees that let you drought-proof your California yard.

Texas Redbud

Those pink flowers help give this drought-resistant tree its name. This hardy tree is a great choice as a street tree or a shade tree, and you can even grow it as a container tree, at least for a while. The redbud is a deciduous tree that grows rapidly, at a rate of about 2 feet a year. Give it a hand by adding soil amendments that help this tough tree retain water.

African Sumac

This graceful shade tree spreads widely across your yard as it soaks up the sun, and it has beautiful weeping foliage that moves softly in the breeze. Expect it to grow quickly, and be prepared to do a little light trimming to keep it under 25 feet high. While the African sumac, which is native to South Africa, loves deep watering, it remains tough when the weather turns dry, and its evergreen foliage stays full and lush year-round.

Burr Oak

When you plant a Burr oak, you’re leaving a legacy that your children will enjoy… and their children, and their children after them, as this majestic spreading tree grows for up to 150 years. Make sure you have plenty of space for this oak tree, also called the mossycup oak, to spread out, as its shady canopy can reach 30 feet in diameter. The striking leaves of this tree turn bronze and gold before they fall in the autumn, and it’s a welcoming home for all kinds of birds.

Desert Willow

Add beautiful, showy flowers to your landscaping when you plant the desert willow, a hardy tree that’s native to southern California as well as to Mexico and Texas. This low-branching, deciduous tree loves full sunshine, and the more it gets, the more it puts out its pink, white, lavender or rose-colored flowers that spread a light fragrance around your yard. You can plant the desert willow and (almost) forget it, as it only requires occasional deep watering, handling drought like a pro, as its name points out.

Blue Palo Verde

You’ve probably seen a lot of blue Palo Verde trees around, even if you weren’t aware of it because this SoCal native is a standard in drought-resistant gardens. Look for bright yellow flowers to bud in the spring, and don’t be surprised if you see a lot of birds and bees hanging around it. The Blue Palo Verde isn’t a great choice if you’re near the ocean, but full sunshine is no hindrance to it. Help it out a bit when you mulch around the trunk to prevent erosion and discourage weeds.

How to Care for Drought-Proof Trees

Drought-proof trees are hardy, but they still need the right fertilizer and amendments to stay healthy. For instance, the African Sumac an organic fertilizer or manure. In general, look for a fertilizer with a high potassium level because this enhances drought tolerance.