Native to the Northern Chihuahua Desert

I have been trying to learn as much as I can about bonsai overall, and I've decided maybe I'm starting off too broadly. So since I'm struggling to find a lot of information or examples of specimens that are native to my area, I will begin this thread in the hope of
1: Creating a resource for others in like climates, created by those living in those areas
2: Learning as much as possible about the species that either thrive, survive, or take a dive.

My experience is primarily what I've (hopefully) learned from the trees I've killed. Mostly that I haven't yet exercised the patience and discipline that this art requires.

I will begin with probably the most plentiful of all, the Mesquite or, specifically in this example, Honey Mesquite - Neltuma (formerly Prosopis) glandulosa, a legume. Very popular as a smoking or cooking wood, it is typically considered more of a scrub or brush on the plains and canyons of the desert, usually having multiple trunks with more lateral growth than apical. It can, however, be trained as a rather imposing individual. Given enough water and pruning, it's 30' canopy provides shade from the scorching sun. Its seed pods are edible, the flowers can be used for tea, or roasted into compressed balls for a sustainable food with a good shelf life.
Being adapted to the desert, they are extremely tough, but there are a few pests to watch for, though none of them should have much effect on a healthy tree. Mealy bugs, armored scale, and a hornworm may sometimes be found chewing on the light green, feathery compound leaves. Brushed beetles are often found sucking sap from the seed pods -- from the inside, where eggs are deposited by the mother.

These may not be ideal candidates for bonsai because they immediately develop a strong tap root that plunges deep in search of water. They are routinely over 100' deep (the longest discovered so far was 190').
Also, I have read and have experience with other legumes that they barely tolerate root work, if at all. Can anyone confirm or refute this? Inquiring minds want to know.

The Piñon, or Pinyon Pine, has four species (P. monophylla, P. cembroides, and P. quadrifolia), but for the sake of saving the reader from a slow death by boredom, I will focus on Pinus edulis, the Colorado Piñon.

These beautiful trees are a vital part of the environment, as they provide food and shelter for countless species. They are the first on a list of nut trees not cultivated for agriculture. The cones they produce, especially in a mast year, are rarely as large as a ping pong ball. But they are  loaded with nutritious pine nuts, which are an important food source for the grey and the red squirrel, Piñon mice, Piñon Jay, wild turkey, Montezuma quail, porcupine, mule deer, wood rat, countless insects, and others. They are also highly sought after by locals who travel into the mountains collect and sell them as a delicacy.

Very slow growing, this pine is measured at a growth rate of about six feet per hundred years! Averaging about 20 to 35 feet tall and 10 to15 feet widecwith a rounded overallappearance. Their dense, dark green needles grow in pairs. The dark gray bark is scaly and irregularly furrowed. These are aromatic trees, and essential oils can be extracted from trunk and branches, needles, and immature cones.

This is on my wish list. As in, I wish I had the patience for such a slow grower. But still one of my favorites.

Perfectly adapted to the high desert environment, these extremely drought tolerant beauties thrive in altitudes from 5,000' to 9,000' in the northern Mexico states of Chihuahua and Sonora, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. There are some found in Texas, Oklahoma, California, and Wyoming, but the numbers in these states are relatively insignificant in the overall population.

The Alligator Juniper (Juniperus deppeanna) is another example of beauty in a "barren" land. This is definitely a striking tree; its bark standing out even against its soft blue-green gray foliage that deepens with age into a rich medium-dark green. Extremely tenacious as established trees, they can be found ar elevations from about 2,500' to roughly 9,000' in Arizona, New Mexico, and west Texas. My fascination with this one is in its resilience, as it refuses to give up, and in its bark, which is certainly worse than its bite! The mature trunk will have dark gray-brown bark, cracked in a checkered pattern, and this is from where its common name is derived. It really does resemble the skin of an alligator.

These trees are usually dioecious, but there are some monoecious individuals. The berries are edible, and were used by indigenous tribes of the southwest as raw food, booked and ground into meal, or ground raw dried berries were made into a drink. The flowers and green berries are produced in February to March. The berries grow into a blue with a waxy gray coating, and mature into a red-tan to red-orange with a waxy gray coating. The 3-5 seeds in each berry become mature and viable in August to October of their second year.

It's distinctive bark, resilience, flexibility in young trees, and beautiful scale leaves put this tree on my must-have list for this biome.

This distinctive juniper may be one of the most easily identifiable species.

In nature, it will reach skyward to heights from 40 to 60 feet, only rarely passing 75 feet. As a slow-grower living 500 to 800 years, with examples of over 1,000, it is, without question, a legacy project.

Chilopsis linearis, the solitary species of its genus, the Desert Willow is not a willow at all, but a member of the  Catalpa family. Ironically, it's name comes from its leaves, which are small, long, and slender, 5 to 12 inches, in stark contrast to the Catalpa's huge, wide leaves. It is a beautiful small tree with irregular growth habits; sometimes a single, straight trunk, sometimes 2, 3, 4 trunks, and they can have subtle or dramatic movement, if any. Growing up to about 40 feet tall and 10 to 20 feet across, the trunk diameter can reach around 12 inches. Mature trunk and branches develop dark gray or charcoal slightly craggy bark. Young trees have smooth, pale gray bark, and graceful movement.
The most striking feature of this desert native is its blossoms. Depending on the cultivar, it usually produces a lavendar/purple to a rich, deep pink flower reminiscent of the snapdragon or some of the common orchids (it makes sense that they would look like a Catalpa flower). These blooms are a vital food source for pollinators. Dozens of insects are attracted to the violet fragrance, and they are a key wild food for hummingbirds.
According to the US Forest Service, the Desert Willow can live up to 100 years. With its low water requirements, love of sunshine, and resistance to insects (occasionally, aphids may infest new growth and buds in spring, and spider mites are a rare problem) and disease, these are ideal candidates for bonsai in a desert biome.

BonsaiManic said:

The Alligator Juniper (Juniperus deppeanna) is another example of beauty in a "barren" land. This is definitely a striking tree; its bark standing out even against its soft blue-green gray foliage that deepens with age into a rich medium-dark green. Extremely tenacious as established trees, they can be found ar elevations from about 2,500' to roughly 9,000' in Arizona, New Mexico, and west Texas. My fascination with this one is in its resilience, as it refuses to give up, and in its bark, which is certainly worse than its bite! The mature trunk will have dark gray-brown bark, cracked in a checkered pattern, and this is from where its common name is derived. It really does resemble the skin of an alligator.

These trees are usually dioecious, but there are some monoecious individuals. The berries are edible, and were used by indigenous tribes of the southwest as raw food, booked and ground into meal, or ground raw dried berries were made into a drink. The flowers and green berries are produced in February to March. The berries grow into a blue with a waxy gray coating, and mature into a red-tan to red-orange with a waxy gray coating. The 3-5 seeds in each berry become mature and viable in August to October of their second year.

It's distinctive bark, resilience, flexibility in young trees, and beautiful scale leaves put this tree on my must-have list for this biome.

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I have an Alligator Juniper in my yard. It was supposed to have been a One Seed Juniper. It is a beautiful juniper with a lush green color, one of the best of any green juniper in the summertime. I plan on using some of its foliage to graft on other trees, because I do not have to worry about spider mites and other issues like I do for kishu. I live in Albuquerque, NM

BonsaiManic said:

Chilopsis linearis, the solitary species of its genus, the Desert Willow is not a willow at all, but a member of the  Catalpa family. Ironically, it's name comes from its leaves, which are small, long, and slender, 5 to 12 inches, in stark contrast to the Catalpa's huge, wide leaves. It is a beautiful small tree with irregular growth habits; sometimes a single, straight trunk, sometimes 2, 3, 4 trunks, and they can have subtle or dramatic movement, if any. Growing up to about 40 feet tall and 10 to 20 feet across, the trunk diameter can reach around 12 inches. Mature trunk and branches develop dark gray or charcoal slightly craggy bark. Young trees have smooth, pale gray bark, and graceful movement.
The most striking feature of this desert native is its blossoms. Depending on the cultivar, it usually produces a lavendar/purple to a rich, deep pink flower reminiscent of the snapdragon or some of the common orchids (it makes sense that they would look like a Catalpa flower). These blooms are a vital food source for pollinators. Dozens of insects are attracted to the violet fragrance, and they are a key wild food for hummingbirds.
According to the US Forest Service, the Desert Willow can live up to 100 years. With its low water requirements, love of sunshine, and resistance to insects (occasionally, aphids may infest new growth and buds in spring, and spider mites are a rare problem) and disease, these are ideal candidates for bonsai in a desert biome.

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I have often thought one of these Desert Willows would make a good bonsai. I will have to give it a shot. They are super tough trees. Yet they are beautiful.

I think they are a good embodiment of bonsai: beauty, elegance, strength, endurance, perseverance...

Western Soapberry, Sapindus saponaria, is an interesting tree. Dense broadleaf foliage of alternate compound leaves ranges from medium to dark green into summer's close, and will brag its charm with showy yellows, oranges, and/or reds before they fall at the onset of wintry weather. In nature, it usually takes a classic broom style, with its rounded canopy and mostly straight single trunk adorned with a somewhat shaggy light gray-brown bark. After leaves appear, it will produce sprays of subtly fragrant creamy white flower clusters, a delight for hummingbirds. These clusters are often unnoticed, as they can be hidden or overlooked in the dense foliage, especially in taller trees, which can reach 45 feet (15 meters) or so.

Because of their adaptability to a wide range of environmental conditions, they are fairly low maintenance, especially once established.
Jadera haematoloma, the Soapberry Bug, or Red-Shoulder Bug (very similar in appearance to the Boxelder Bug, Boisea trivittata), is the main pest of this tree, mainly attacking the berries and seeds. They can be managed the same way as many other insect pests, with a dish soap and water solution.

Soapberry can be propagated from seeds or cuttings, though seeds require a period of cold stratification.

The growth rate is about 2 feet per year, but in ideal conditions, I have seen it achieve more than a meter.

The flower clusters produce fleshy amber berries that mature in September and October, remaining until spring, when the new growth releases them to the ground. These berries give the genus its name, as they have traditionally been used as a soap.

A few pics.

When the tree is leafless and the translucent berries are backlit by the sun they are spectacular.

Michael P said:

When the tree is leafless and the translucent berries are backlit by the sun they are spectacular.

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Definitely. Here, any color is good color, especially in the winter, or a very dry summer. We've received 5.66" of precipitation in the last 9 months here in town.

Atriplex canescens, Four-wing Saltbush, is designed for the arid heat of the desert. Salty soils, as its name implies, don't hurt this species. As abundant as honey mesquite, these prolific seeders are an important part of the environment of the plains, sparse mountains, and craggy cliffs and canyons of this region.
Natives used this bushy plant extensively. Medicinally, leaves were boiled and made into a soapy lather for insect bites and stings, and skin rashes. Roots were used as a laxative, for stomach pain, a toothache remedy, and bad coughs. The leaves can also be made into a shampoo, and the crushed flowers and leaves make a yellow ddye. Smoke from burning leaves was used to revive injured, weak, or fainted individuals.
The seeds have a mild and salty flavor. They are edible on their own, but were more commonly ground into a powder that made a leavened flour.

Although I don't have one of these (YET!) I am fairly familiar with this species, so my own experience is going into this post. Growing up to about 5 or 6 feet high, and at least as wide in my part of the desert, they don't have a "set" growth habit. Some have multiple trunks. Some have smooth, straight trunks. Some are gnarled, rugged single trunks. Location doesn't seem to matter, as two shrubs five feet apart could look like entirely different species to the untrained eye. Even the leaf color can vary greatly, from a pale dusty gray-green to a deep, clear medium green. The one thing they all seem to agree upon is the flowers and seed heads. From what I was able to determine, these can live a century or longer.
They have extensive root systems, reaching down as far as 20 feet, and in one photo, you can see that they are capable of suckering from surface roots spreading out far beyond the dripline. I don't know how well these handle root work.
Its small, stringy leaves and short internodes are very much what we look for in bonsai specimen. I don't know how well these back bud, but their color, and dense, fine foliage are part of the reason I intend to collect a few ideal candidates. I want to LEARN!

BonsaiManic said:

Chilopsis linearis, the solitary species of its genus, the Desert Willow is not a willow at all, but a member of the  Catalpa family. Ironically, it's name comes from its leaves, which are small, long, and slender, 5 to 12 inches, in stark contrast to the Catalpa's huge, wide leaves. It is a beautiful small tree with irregular growth habits; sometimes a single, straight trunk, sometimes 2, 3, 4 trunks, and they can have subtle or dramatic movement, if any. Growing up to about 40 feet tall and 10 to 20 feet across, the trunk diameter can reach around 12 inches. Mature trunk and branches develop dark gray or charcoal slightly craggy bark. Young trees have smooth, pale gray bark, and graceful movement.
The most striking feature of this desert native is its blossoms. Depending on the cultivar, it usually produces a lavendar/purple to a rich, deep pink flower reminiscent of the snapdragon or some of the common orchids (it makes sense that they would look like a Catalpa flower). These blooms are a vital food source for pollinators. Dozens of insects are attracted to the violet fragrance, and they are a key wild food for hummingbirds.
According to the US Forest Service, the Desert Willow can live up to 100 years. With its low water requirements, love of sunshine, and resistance to insects (occasionally, aphids may infest new growth and buds in spring, and spider mites are a rare problem) and disease, these are ideal candidates for bonsai in a desert biome.

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they're planted as street trees out here, but they're a little out of range. really nice, elegant multitrunked versions as well, the branches naturally wander

for legumes, I suspect that the potential for yamadori is very limited, and this is why we don't see a ton of them. recently, there was a thread here on palo verde, I also recall Ryan Neil working on a redbud (Cercis sp), a Mirai student would know better than me.

I'm working on a Calliandra californica as a kusamono, but I'm training it from a young plant and the sense of scale I want to achieve with a kusa vs a bonsai is just a lot different, so I don't have to push the roots in the same way. And, lots of kusa aren't repotted at all, the best kusamono haven't been repotted for 20+ years. Lupines are also popular kusa subjects, and I'm going to get a few local species for next year. so, that's how I'm approaching the question of legumes in my practice so far fwiw

Juniperus monosperma, the One-seed Juniper, is a western species of North America. This species usually can have either multiple trunks, or very low branching, which, at a distance may appear as a clump-type shrub. Occasionally, (and my thought is this is caused by early grazing or some other loss of branching at the sapling stage), they have a single, well-developed trunk. In their natural setting, they are rather globular; typically very round, with a deep green mature foliage. The long flakes of bark on mature trees hides a cinnamon colored "new" bark underneath, making for an interesting trunk texture.

These trees produce discreet flowers starting at the end of February into mid-March, releasing pollen that may cause problems for allergy sufferers. The berries are food for birds and mammalian foragers, especially coyotes.

Collection could be a challenge, depending on location. Growing in the open, with a deep soil, the tap root of a five-year tree could reach 30 feet. With their slow aboveground growth rate, this could mean that a two foot specimen may have a root 10 times it's height. But growing on a rocky surface, the lateral roots are likely to dominate, likely allowing for somewhat easier collection.

I couldn't pin down a lifespan for this species, but I did discover that it begins producing seed at 10 to 20 years, but its most prolific seed production begins at 50 to 200 years of age. So with good care, this tree is a good option for desert bonsai for generations to come.

I really enjoy your write ups on these native species. Although I live well out of their native range I would love to try some of them. What are night time lows in summer where you are? I suspect that our very high minimum summer temperatures might be a problem for the conifers. Desert willows seem to be ok with them as landscape trees.

We dip into the upper 60s or lower 70s most of the time. I grew up north of Dallas; the humidity holds the heat a lot more than the dry air here. Here's a typical weekly forecast.
Humidity is up a bit today; we're usually in the teens or single digits.

B-Trees said:

for legumes, I suspect that the potential for yamadori is very limited, and this is why we don't see a ton of them. recently, there was a thread here on palo verde,

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I have read that thread. I have 4 seedlings that I initially identified incorrectly as Chilean Mesquite. They are native to the Mojave and Sonora Deserts, but if I remember correctly, I have seen them in El Paso, so they should be good candidates for bonsai here as well. There's something about them that fascinates me.