Virginia Tech Dendrology

Arizona rosewood Rosaceae Vauquelinia californica (Torr.) Sarg. symbol: VACA5
Leaf: Alternate, simple, evergreen, lanceolate, 2 to 4 inches long; widely spaced, sharp fine teeth along margin, rounded to broadly pointed tip, leathery, shiny dark green above, paler below, petiole pinkish.
Flower: Small, 1/3 inch across, 5 white petals, appearing in flat, terminal clusters in late spring and summer.
Fruit: Clusters of small (1/4 inch across), woody, reddish brown capsules, persistent.
Twig: Slender, reddish brown with fine gray velvety fuzz covering new growth.
Bark: Smooth reddish gray with horizontal lenticels, later becoming scaly and darker.
Form: A large shrub or small tree with a narrow crown reaching up to 20 feet tall.
Looks like: oleander

Additional Range Information: Vauquelinia californica is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDA Plants Database
All material 2025 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information