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Shade Trees - The Dilemma

It's time for me to buy some shade trees for the backyard. Please help!! It's down to two: mesquite or (and?) Desert Museum Palo Verde. We have room for (and want) a large spreading canopy. I would like to be able to plant under the tree(s) and sit under them. This will be a new patio area.

Sunset magazine this month recommends a thornless Honey Mesquite. Before I read that I was considering a thornless Chilean Mesquite. While researching those, I found Mountain States Wholesale Nursery has cloned a new mesquite:

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Prosopis x Phoenix® (Thornless) Size: 35 x 35; Low water; Yellow flowers; 15 degrees cold tolerant; Zone 8

This grafted tree is thornless, fast-growing, and semi-evergreen.The top of the plant is a clone of South American hybrid mesquite, while the rootstock is our native Prosopis juliflora.This rootstock has slowed down the top growth, resulting in healthier branching structure and a solid root system. Lush green compound leaves provide dense summer shade. Light yellow catkin flowers are followed by a few brown seedpods. Plant in full sun and prune as needed in the summer.

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Does anyone here have experience or comments about the mesquites, especially the newly cloned Phoenix Mesquite and/or DM palo verde as a solution for a blazing hot backyard?

I stopped at Summer Winds at Tatum and Bell yesterday and talked to a real nice guy, Bryan. They purchase some of their stock from Mountain States and can order the prosopis phoenix for me but he also showed me a Desert Museum Palo Verde that has been in the ground there for about six years. Wow! What a gorgeous tree.

Any comments folks? Thanks.

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