Carefree Ranch Homesteads Approved Plants
Carefree Ranch Homesteads Approved Plants
Every plant below is officially approved under Carefree Ranch Homesteads’ (Ranch Homesteads OA / ‘RHO’) design guidelines and available from Three Timbers. A strict Upper Sonoran indigenous palette for Cave Creek / Carefree custom lots.
on orders $200+ in the Phoenix Valley
trees, shrubs & flowering plants
we handle the ACC submittal too
Call or text 612-214-1955
If you live in Carefree Ranch Homesteads, this is the only plant list you need.
Carefree Ranch Homesteads enforces a specific approved plant palette — getting it wrong means rework, fines, or a rejected ACC application. We pulled the official guidelines, extracted every plant, and matched it against our nursery catalog. 54 of Carefree Ranch Homesteads’s approved species are carried by Three Timbers — organized below by the same categories the ACC uses.
Every plant below is clickable with current pricing. Free delivery to Carefree on orders over $200.
About Carefree Ranch Homesteads’s Approved Plant List
| Community | Carefree Ranch Homesteads |
| City | Carefree / Cave Creek area, AZ (Upper Sonoran estate lots) |
| Developer | Ranch Homesteads Owners Association (RHO) — low-density Sonoran-preserve custom lots |
| Management | PO Box 5720, Mesa AZ 85211 (community association management) |
| Source document | Carefree Ranch Homesteads Design Guidelines (revised 12/11/2019) — Appendix D Approved Plant List + Appendix E Prohibited Plant List. View the source |
| Landscape themes | Upper Sonoran indigenous preserve. Non-indigenous plant materials reaching mature height greater than 18 feet are prohibited. All indigenous cacti are permitted. Lush non-indigenous ‘Private Area’ palette is allowed behind courtyard walls where not visible from streets or neighboring lots. |
| Three Timbers carries | 54 of Carefree Ranch Homesteads’s approved species |
Carefree Ranch Homesteads (‘RHO’) is distinct from the neighboring Carefree Ranch HOA (‘CROA’) — different association, different guidelines. RHO caps non-indigenous species at 18′ mature height. All palms over 6′, olive trees, oleander, Thevetia, and fountain grass are flat-out prohibited. Pines, cypress, false cypress, juniper, and cedar over 6′ are prohibited except for species specifically approved in Appendix D.
Carefree Ranch Homesteads’s guidelines specifically prohibit: Olive trees (all), Oleander, Fountain Grass. We carry them for non-HOA gardens — but don’t plant them here.
Jump to a Plant Category
- Approved Trees — 19 plants
- Approved Shrubs, Accents & Groundcovers — 35 plants
- Planting & watering guide
- Want it installed for you?
Approved Trees (19 approved)
Three Timbers picks — best of trees
All HOA-approved trees (19 species)
| Common Name | Botanical Name | Starting Price | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abyssinian Acacia | Acacia abyssinica | From $28.16 | Shop → |
| Mulga | Acacia aneura | From $31.68 | Shop → |
| Mexican Bird of Paradise | Caesalpinia mexicana | From $17.60 | Shop → |
| Desert Hackberry | Celtis pallida | From $28.16 | Shop → |
| Netleaf Hackberry | Celtis reticulata | From $28.16 | Shop → |
| Blue Palo Verde | Cercidium floridum | From $28.16 | Shop → |
| Palo Brea | Cercidium praecox | From $28.16 | Shop → |
| Desert Willow | Chilopsis linearis | From $28.16 | Shop → |
| One-Seed Juniper | Juniperus monosperma | From $6.51 | Shop → |
| Palo Blanco | Lysiloma candida | From $28.16 | Shop → |
| Ironwood | Olneya tesota | From $31.68 | Shop → |
| Texas Ebony | Pithecellobium flexicaule | From $31.68 | Shop → |
| Argentine Mesquite | Prosopis alba | From $96.80 | Shop → |
| Chilean Mesquite | Prosopis chilensis | From $36.96 | Shop → |
| Honey Mesquite | Prosopis glandulosa | From $28.16 | Shop → |
| Screwbean Mesquite | Prosopis pubescens | From $86.24 | Shop → |
| Velvet Mesquite | Prosopis velutina | From $28.16 | Shop → |
| Sugar Bush | Rhus ovata | From $25.52 | Shop → |
| Texas Mountain Laurel | Sophora secundiflora | From $31.68 | Shop → |
Approved Shrubs, Accents & Groundcovers (35 approved)
Three Timbers picks — best of shrubs, accents & groundcovers
All HOA-approved shrubs, accents & groundcovers (35 species)
| Common Name | Botanical Name | Starting Price | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agave | Agave | From $11.44 | Shop → |
| Triangle-leaf Bursage | Ambrosia deltoidea | From $6.60 | Shop → |
| Desert Milkweed | Asclepias subulata | From $8.36 | Shop → |
| Desert Marigold | Baileya multiradiata | From $7.13 | Shop → |
| Woolly Butterfly Bush | Buddleja marrubifolia | From $8.71 | Shop → |
| Yellow Bird of Paradise | Caesalpinia gilliesii | From $6.78 | Shop → |
| Red Bird of Paradise | Caesalpinia pulcherrima | From $6.25 | Shop → |
| Baja Fairy Duster | Calliandra californica | From $7.48 | Shop → |
| Fairy Duster | Calliandra eriophylla | From $7.48 | Shop → |
| Feathery Cassia | Cassia artemisioides | From $6.16 | Shop → |
| Little-leaf Cordia | Cordia parvifolia | From $7.48 | Shop → |
| Bush Dalea | Dalea pulchra | From $7.48 | Shop → |
| Desert Spoon | Dasylirion wheeleri | From $8.18 | Shop → |
| Hopbush | Dodonaea viscosa | From $5.54 | Shop → |
| Brittlebush | Encelia farinosa | From $5.54 | Shop → |
| Turpentine Bush | Ericameria laricifolia | From $7.13 | Shop → |
| Flat-topped Buckwheat | Eriogonum fasciculatum | From $7.48 | Shop → |
| Ocotillo | Fouquieria splendens | From $56.32 | Shop → |
| Red Yucca | Hesperaloe parviflora | From $7.66 | Shop → |
| Jojoba | Jojoba simmondsia | From $7.57 | Shop → |
| Chuparosa | Justicia californica | From $5.98 | Shop → |
| Creosote Bush | Larrea tridentata | From $10.56 | Shop → |
| Texas Ranger | Leucophyllum frutescens | From $6.34 | Shop → |
| Blackfoot Daisy | Melampodium leucanthum | From $6.60 | Shop → |
| Bear Grass | Nolina microcarpa | From $9.15 | Shop → |
| Penstemon | Penstemon | From $6.16 | Shop → |
| Shrub Oak | Quercus turbinella | From $31.68 | Shop → |
| Skunkbush Sumac | Rhus trilobata | From $25.52 | Shop → |
| Baja Ruellia | Ruellia peninsularis | From $6.60 | Shop → |
| Autumn Sage | Salvia greggii | From $5.54 | Shop → |
| Desert Senna | Senna covesii | From $6.16 | Shop → |
| Globe Mallow | Sphaeralcea ambigua | From $6.60 | Shop → |
| Arizona Yellow Bells | Tecoma stans | From $6.95 | Shop → |
| Banana Yucca | Yucca baccata | From $11.09 | Shop → |
| Soaptree Yucca | Yucca elata | From $11.09 | Shop → |
Planting & Watering Guide for the Phoenix Valley
Best time to plant
- Trees & shrubs: October through March. Avoid June, July, August.
- Cacti, agaves & ocotillo: April through October. They need warm soil to root in.
- Groundcovers & perennials: Spring (Feb–April) or fall (Sep–Nov).
Watering schedule
- Year 1, summer: Every 3–4 days, deep soak.
- Year 1, winter: Every 10–14 days, light watering.
- After year 1, established: Every 10–14 days in summer, every 3–4 weeks in winter. Cacti, agaves, ocotillo need far less.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all these plants approved at every Carefree Ranch Homesteads property?
These are the species permitted under Carefree Ranch Homesteads’s current landscape guidelines. Some sub-areas or front-yard-vs-backyard restrictions may apply — always check your specific lot’s design package or submit an ACC application before installing.
Does Three Timbers handle the ACC submittal?
Yes — if you use our professional install service, we handle the ACC paperwork, plant list, and submittal for you.
How fast can you deliver to Carefree?
Same-day or next-day for orders received before 1pm. Free delivery on orders $200+ across the Phoenix Valley.
What’s included in the 30-day warranty?
Every tree, shrub, and flowering plant comes with a 30-day replacement guarantee. Cacti, agaves, aloes, ocotillo, and similar slow-growing succulents are warranted only at time of delivery.
Want your HOA landscape installed for you?
We’re the only Phoenix Valley online nursery with our own install crew
Three Timbers handles design, plant selection from Carefree Ranch Homesteads’s approved palette, ACC submittal paperwork, delivery, and installation — all in one workflow. Same-day quotes. 30-day plant warranty on every install.
Why Phoenix Valley homeowners choose Three Timbers
Three Timbers is the Phoenix Valley’s only online nursery with our own delivery and install crew. We carry 820+ desert-adapted species, cross-referenced to every major HOA’s approved plant palette — including Carefree Ranch Homesteads’s. Browse the full master HOA plant guide to compare across all Phoenix Valley communities, or call 612-214-1955 for a same-day quote.
