Lysiloma watsonii

Feather bush is a graceful, single- or multi-trunk evergreen or semi-deciduous tree with a wide, spreading growth habit to heights of fifteen to twenty feet and widths of about fifteen feet. It has lacy, bright green to grayish-green leaves and produces clusters of creamy white, fragrant, puffball blooms in early spring. After the blooms disappear, brown, flat, leguminous seedpods hang from the branches. They contain reddish-brown, flat seeds that last on the tree for a long time. The bark is grayish-brown and turns darker when mature. The feather bush requires minimal water to survive, but grows faster with additional irrigation, especially during the hot, dry season. Plant it in a protected area—it is susceptible to frost damage at temperatures of twenty-five degrees Fahrenheit. If it suffers frost damage, prune back the frozen branches, fertilize the tree, and give it supplemental irrigation. It likes full sun and will take alkaline soils as long as they are well-draining. The tree requires corrective pruning to remove suckers and to help develop good structure. It produces some leaf and seedpod litter that requires light maintenance. Feather bush is a good selection for the landscape when light shade is needed for smaller, understory plants. Use it around pools or ponds for a desert oasis theme, tropical effect, or background screen. Its feathery, semi-deciduous foliage also makes for a nice patio tree or specimen for small spaces. Feather bush grows natively in southern Arizona and northern parts of Sonora and Sinaloa, Mexico.