How Do You Propagate Arizona Rosewood?

Q. How difficult would it be to propagate Arizona Rosewood? And how should I prune one to shape as a multi-trunk tree, with more foliage in the 6' to 12' height zone?

Arizona rosewood as a shrub
Arizona rosewood as a tree

A. It can be propagated from cuttings and seed. The easiest is from seed.

Cuttings of Arizona Rosewood should be taken in May and treated with a rooting hormone. Expect at best about 50% of the cuttings to root.

With seed, collect seed from seed pods when the pods are fully mature. Put into the freezer in a plastic bag for about 6 to 8 weeks and sow the seed in sterilized planting mix.

 Arizona Rosewood is a slow grower. With Arizona Rosewood you would want to select four or five main stems coming from the ground or very low on the trunk. These should be going in different directions to give the plant balance.

 Remove all new or existing small growth from these four to five stems and concentrate growth in the upper canopy. Thin the growth in the canopy  to major stems growing outward and remove growth going straight up or down, growing back toward the center of the small tree or shading other growth by growing too close together.

You will get faster growth if you have fewer stems. Growth will be reduced if you have LOTS of places where growth can occur. Always keep the canopy occupying at least half of the plants height.

 As the plant gets larger let the canopy occupy 2/3 of the height of the plant and keep the trunks free of new growth as soon as you see it. You can usually pull this new growth out and will not need a pruning shears if you get it when it is young.