Retama

Parkinsonia aculeata

Hills guide picknative · Central Texassold locallycaution

Retama is a small tree native to Central Texas that grows 12–20 ft tall and 12–20 ft wide. It wants full sun or part shade and very low water, and handles caliche soil. Blooms orange and yellow in Apr–Aug. Deer rarely browse it. Good for birds and butterflies.

Caution — people. Sharp thorns along the stems.

Will it grow in your yard?

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From our guide

Village of the Hills

Green-barked open tree with wispy foliage and abundant yellow flowers.

Why it works here

Photosynthesizes through its bark, so it stays green even leafless. Nothing is more heat and drought proof.

Watch out

Thorny, brittle, and reseeds enough to be a nuisance. Short-lived. Best where its toughness is the point.

The facts

7 sources

Type: Small tree
Sun: Full sun to part shade (3+ hrs)
Water: Very low
Height: 12–20 ft
Spread: 12–20 ft
Bloom: Apr–Aug · orange, yellow
Foliage: Deciduous
Soil: Takes caliche
Deer: High — deer rarely browse it. Thorny
Wildlife: Supports birds and butterflies

Size, sun, water and foliage from the Village of the Hills guide; the rest resolved across sources.

Where it grows

2,241 occurrence records in Central Texas (GBIF).

Can you buy it?

Sold at local nurseries. Confirmed in stock at a Central Texas grower in these sizes:

2.5–4.5 inch pots1 gallon

From the growers we read so far — a short list, not the whole trade. Call ahead.

also grows from seed It starts readily from seed, so a packet from a native-seed supplier, or seed collected with permission, is often the easiest way to get a plant no nursery pots.