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NPS Photo / Alice Wondrak Biel Arizona Sycamore (Platanus wrightii)This tree is the most conspicuous at the monument, both because of its size (up to 80 feet tall), and by its appearance. The white, brown, and green bark sets this tree apart. The constantly shedding bark creates an ever-changing mosaic of color. Please do not pick or scratch the bark. While other species of sycamore can be found in North America, in Arizona, this species can only be found along riparian corridors. The extremely large leaves reveal that this tree is a tree that must have its roots in permanent water in order to survive. The tree uses an amount of water, by weight, equal to the weight of the leaves every hour of the day. 
NPS Photo Arizona Walnut (Juglans major) This tree is a type of black walnut, which produces a nut a little smaller than its east coast cousin. The edible nut contains the anti-fungal agent juglone, and the husk is used to produce brown dyes. The nuts are harvested in the late summer and fall by both people and squirrels. The flavor released from cracking these small walnuts is well worth the effort. Shells have been found in archaeological sites, letting us know that the Sinagua harvested them as well. 
NPS Photo / Keir Morse Frémont Cottonwood (Populus fremontii)This is another of the riparian-dependent trees of the monument. It is considered the tree of life, an indicator of water and healthy riparian environments. While the wood is unpopular for building and burns too cool for reliable cooking, the trunks are often hollowed out to make drums and the roots are carved to make kachina dolls. Children collect seeds from the cottony pods, called heesoli, and chew them with honey. In the spring, the air is filled with the white, cottony fluff that gives this tree its name. 
NPS Photo / Lauren Reid Netleaf Hackberry (Celtis reticulata)The netleaf hackberry is a host plant for the caterpilar of the hackberry emperor butterfly. The mature leaves of this tree are rough like sandpaper. The berries are a favorite of songbirds. The berries can be picked before the first frost when they turn red. The leaves have been used to treat indigestion, the bark can be woven into a sturdy pair of sandals, and a mix of leaves and bark has been used make a dark brown and red dye. Mites and fungi often form bushy growths in hackberry branches called "witches' brooms." The smooth, gray bark of the hackberry becomes warty with age. 
Photo by Alan Weakley via Creative Commons 0 Velvet Ash (Fraxinus velutina) This spreading tree with a rounded crown is named for the velvety texture of its leaves. The sturdy wood makes ideal walking sticks and bows. The bark is used medicinally, boiled into a tea to aid digestion, or in greater quantities as a laxative. Ash trees grow up to 30 feet tall and are often planted in southwestern cities for shade. 
Photo by Craig Martin via Creative Commons 0 One-seed Juniper (Juniperus monosperma)The one-seed juniper provides fuel, shelter, light, and healing. The berries have fed both humans and animals throughout time. The wood is selected for roof beams, fence, posts, and torches. The Hopi boil the branches for stomach ailments, headaches, and colds. One-seed juniper treats pneumonia and indigestion, but too many berries can act as a laxative. The twigs and branches have been burned to purify places and people. 
NPS Photo Velvet Mesquite (Netulma velutina)The Verde Valley is home to mesquite bosques, Spanish for "small forests." A bosque is a type of forest that grows in a corridor along streams, rivers, and lakes in an area that otherwise has little vegetation. This sprawling tree was a critical resource for Verde Valley people. This tree produces an edible bean, which has been an important food source for both people and animals. In the wild, the beans are eaten by javelinas, rodents, deer, and elk. The seeds and pods were ground into flour by Native American tribes like the Sinagua and baked into cakes that provided a staple protein. A tea of the bark, leaves, and pods has been used for stomach disorders, and sucking on a hard candy of the sap reduces heart burn. During the spring and summer, large numbers of bees are attracted to the flowers. Honey from bees which seek the mesquite flower is also very popular. 
NPS Photo Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis)Despite its name, this tree is not a willow at all and is related to trumpet vines and catalpas. Desert willows can reach 25 feet tall and are typically found growing where water is close to the surface. The orchid-like flowers, which bloom April through August, are fragrant and popular in landscaping in the southwest. Dried willow leaves treat fungal infections. Desert Willow has been used as roofing material, and powdered or made into a wash for skin infections. Young shoots are excellent for basket weaving, and the supple wood was a source for bows. The flowers have been brewed into a tea for relieving coughs. 
NPS Photo / H. Rich Mormon Tea (Ephedra spp.)This plant, also known as joint-fir, has no noticable leaves. Its green bark contains chlorophyl which allows for photosynthesis to occur. A tea of the joints has been used for stomach disorders, rheumatism, and as a decongestant for colds. New World ephredras contain psuedoephedrine, while Old World ephedras contain ephedrine. 
NPS Photo / Andrew Cattoir Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata)Among the longest-lived plants on earth, some stands of creosote grow in the same place for thousands of years. A ring of creosote bushes found in the Mojave desert is estimated to be over 11,700 years old. The roots agressively soak up water, and a resin coating on the leaves that reduces moisture loss gives the plant a distinctive smell which intensifies after rain. The yellow flowers are most common in spring and fall. This plant produces a toxin through the root system that very few plants can tolerate, this eliminates competition for rainfall. It is the most wide-spread of the desert shrubs, and can be found from west Texas to southern California, often forming pure stands. It is a veritable "medicine chest" and has been used for upset stomachs, coughs, and colds. It contains nordihydroguaiaretic acid which is being studied for its anti-cancer properties. 
NPS Photo Four-wing Saltbush (Atriplex canescens)Named for the four-winged bracts on its fruit, the common high desert shrub provides food and medicine and is burned during ceremonies. The leaves, young shoots, seeds, and fruit are edible. Ashes from burned suuvi leaves make a baking soda and enchance the blue coloring of Hopi piki bread, along with fortifying baked goods with calcium and minerals. The chewed roots have been used on insect bites. A lukewarm tea can be used for nausea and vomiting, and a hot tea can be used to break a fever. 
Photo by Chris Merck via Creative Commons 0 Red Barberry (Berberis haematocarpa)You can guess why this vibrant plant is sometimes called desert holly. Even though the bright red berries look festive, they have a bitter taste and are sweetened when used to make jams. The plant detoxifies the blood, acts as an antiseptic, and has antimicrobial properties. The roots and bark can be processed to make a brilliant yellow dye. In spring you will notice an abundance of bright yellow flowers on this common shrub. 
NPS Photo Catclaw Acacia (Senegalia greggii)Watch out! The Apache name for this large shrub, ch'il gohigise, means "a bush that scratches you." Another name for this plant is wait-a-minute bush. Notice its sharp, claw-like thorns. Like velvet mesquite, it grows large bean pods in the summer. While velvet mesquite has longer, straight thorns, catclaw acacia has short, curved thorns and smaller leaves. On long journeys, ancient travelers relied on the fruits for food. The green seed pods can be eaten fresh or dried, or ground into flour to make mush, cakes, or bread. The branches make good drumsticks and furniture. Bees that feed on the blossoms produce a delicate and distinctive honey. A poultice of ground pods and water has been used for muscle pain, bruises, and sprains. A warm water infusion of stems and branches has been used for coughs and throat irritations. Select a Park:Select a Species Category (optional):
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Last updated: September 22, 2025