Plant Form: Shrub, Tree
Water Use: Low, Moderate
Mature Size: 8-15 ft. tall x 10-12 ft. wide
Exposure: Full sun, part shade
Bloom Time: Fall (September-November)
Hardiness: Cold Hardy to 10°F
Native to: China, Japan
Shiny Xylosma is a loose, spreading, graceful, evergreen shrub or small tree with arching branches that is used as a versatile hedge or privacy screen. Its shiny, clean, yellowish green leaves are its most attractive feature; new growth emerges an attractive bronze-red. The small, yellowish flowers are insignificant except to pollinators, who take advantage of its very short bloom season. Xylosma can be trained into a small tree, but accepts shearing to keep it to a smaller size. In age, its angular main stem assumes an artistic zigzag shape, with side branches arching gracefully, sometimes to the grounds. Xylosma thrives in desert heat, and is evergreen to 25°F, but root hardy to 10-15°F. This easy-care plant is pool friendly, child friendly, water wise, and perfect for patios and outdoor living spaces. Often used to break up long fence lines or soften tall walls, in containers, as espaliers, windbreaks, large hedges, foundation plantings, screens, and as background for beds and borders.
THIS MONTH IN YOUR DESERT-SMART LANDSCAPE
Smart water-wise practices pay off now: climate-adapted plants+ mulch+ deep watering=less water use.
- Check irrigation emitters, valves, and lines for clogs, leaks, and breaks.
- Flush out lines by removing end caps with your water system on; sand or deposit that build up in lines can clog emitters.
- Leave a dripping hose at the drip-line of trees and shrubs to deeply soak soil once a month; set a timer to remind you to move hose to next plant.
- Keep adding to mulches as they decompose to conserve water, keep roots cool, and reduce frequency of watering.
- Encourage repeat blooming by pinching or cutting back annuals, perennials, and shrubs.