Jojoba is an attractive Sonoran Desert shrub that’s nearly maintenance-free. It’s important for wildlife, and its oil has many practical applications. Here’s everything you need to know about growing this dependable addition to desert landscapes.
Jojoba (pronounced hoe-HOE-bah) is a native evergreen shrub that grows in arid regions of Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, and northern Mexico. Plants are extremely resilient and can live to be more than 100 years old.
Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) is not a showy plant. Its flowers are inconspicuous. It’s grown as a landscape plant mainly for its pleasing foliage, its importance to wildlife, and for being low-maintenance. It has densely packed, leathery, gray-green leaves and nut-like fruits that look like acorns or olives.
It’s happy in full sun and poor soil, and needs little supplemental water. In its native habitat, plants can survive on as little as 3″ of annual rainfall.
It stays around 6 feet tall and wide and only needs an occasional light trim. It’s nearly litter-free and as close to being no-maintenance as a shrub can be.
Why I Like This Plant
- Evergreen, looks good all year long
- Needs minimal care
- Sonoran Desert native
- Important for wildlife
- No thorns, low litter
Things to Watch Out For
Jojoba is an important plant for wildlife and a wide variety of animals forage on its leaves or eat its fruit. This can be a benefit or a drawback, depending on your situation. If you have a problem with deer, jackrabbits, or javelina, be forewarned that they like to browse on jojoba leaves. (So do domestic sheep, goats, and cattle, in case you have any on your property.)
Oddly, it’s generally considered rabbit resistant, but I have my doubts considering the array of animals who enjoy these plants.
Be aware that jojoba plants are either male or female, and there are some important differences between them, so shop accordingly. Male plants produce a prodigious amount of pollen which some people find irritating. An average-sized plant can produce up to 2 pounds of pollen! 😧
If you specifically want jojoba fruits, either for their appearance or to feed wildlife, you’ll need both a female and a male plant. The fruits on female plants are enjoyed by small mammals and large birds.
If you want neither pollen nor fruits, stick with female plants. Unless your neighbors have male plants, your female won’t produce fruit. Male plants naturally outnumber female plants 5 to 1, but nurseries can clone female plants to replenish their stock. Note that not all nurseries can confirm whether you are getting male or female plants.
Optimal Growing Conditions
If you’re thinking of adding jojoba to your garden, you need to find a suitable place that will keep your plant healthy and looking good… while minimizing maintenance for you.
Here are the key factors to keep in mind.
Temperature
Jojoba should be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 – 10. It thrives in the hottest conditions and is cold-hardy, down to around 20℉.
Sun Exposure
Plants thrive in full sun and even the reflected heat from walls and buildings. When grown in part shade, they get leggy.
Size and Growth Rate
It’s considered a slow grower that typically reaches a size of 6 feet tall and wide. But there’s a direct correlation between a plant’s growth rate and size and how much water it receives. They will grow faster and can get much bigger with frequent irrigation.
Jojoba flowers in the winter and spring. Flowers are followed by acorn-like nuts or fruits in the fall.
Soil
Jojoba is not particular about soil. It grows well in any native soil — rocky, sandy, alkaline, or even barren soil — provided it’s well-draining.
Other Location Considerations
Jojoba’s appearance has been described as informal, casual, or natural, so it may not be the look you’re going for if you want a formal, more manicured look. Plants do not take kindly to shearing, so don’t try to grow this as a hedge or other unnatural shape. Don’t plant it where it outgrows its space and needs constant pruning.
It’s unarmed — no thorns, spikes, or glochids — and low litter, so it’s a good choice to plant near a pool or other areas frequented by people.
Its foliage is particularly dense, making it a good screen to block traffic noise or an unwanted view.
Jojoba:
The Essentials
| Common Name | Jojoba |
| Scientific Name | Simmondsia chinensis |
| Origin | Sonoran Desert |
| Plant Type | Evergreen shrub |
| USDA Zones | Zones 9 – 10 |
| Cold Hardiness | To 20℉ |
| Flower Color | Inconspicuous, yellow |
| Flower Season | Winter, spring |
| Mature Size | 6’ high x 6’ wide |
| Growth Rate | Slow to moderate |
| Sun Tolerance | Full, reflected sun |
| Water Needs | Low |
| Pests & Diseases | Root rot if overwatered |
| Garden Friendly | No thorns, non-toxic |
| Wildlife | Food for birds, mammals |
How to Plant
The rule of thumb when planting any shrub in the desert is to dig a hole three times as wide as the root ball but no deeper. Amending the soil is not recommended. Counterintuitively, backfilling with the same native soil you just dug up helps your plant develop a stronger root system.
When to Plant
The best time to plant jojoba is in the fall. This gives your shrub three seasons to grow roots and get established before the following summer.
The second best time is in spring, the earlier the better. This still gives your plant time to get established before the intense heat of June arrives.
How to Care for Jojoba
Whether you’ve recently planted jojoba or have an existing plant in your yard, here’s how to take care of it to keep it healthy and looking its best.
How to Water New Plants
Once you’ve got your shrub in the ground, watering is your most immediate concern. Here is the recommended watering schedule for new shrubs planted in the spring or fall.
| Weeks 1 & 2 | Every 3 – 4 days |
| Weeks 3 & 4 | Every 5 – 7 days |
| Weeks 5 & 6 | Every 7 – 10 days |
| Weeks 7 & 8 | Every 10 – 14 days |
How to Water Established Plants
As your plant gets established, there are two watering factors to consider.
- First is how often to water. This will vary with the seasons.
- Second is how much water to give your shrub with each watering. This depends on the current size of your plant.
To determine the ideal watering schedule for jojoba, you’ll find everything you need to know, including easy-to-use charts, at How to Water Desert Shrubs: How Often? How Much?
Should You Fertilize?
There is no need to fertilize jojoba. As a southwest native, it’s evolved to get all the nutrients it needs from desert soil.
How to Prune
Jojoba doesn’t need much pruning. Plants stay around 6 feet tall and wide when given minimal supplemental water.
You can shape it with an occasional light trim or selectively prune a few of the largest branches back to the base to rejuvenate it every few years in the spring or fall.
Never shear jojoba. Sheared plants perform poorly and lose their natural form.
Don’t try to force jojoba to grow faster by giving it more water.
This results in a weak, spindly plant that needs more pruning.
Plant Lover Facts
Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) goes by a handful of other common names — goat nut, deer nut, pignut, wild hazel, quinine nut, coffeeberry, and gray box bush.
It is the only member of its genus. Its species name chinensis sounds like it’s from China, but it’s not. Long story short, the original plant labels got mixed up and, due to nomenclature rules, the wrong name stuck. 🙄 It should have been labeled californica, which makes more sense.
Jojoba nuts are about 50% “oil”. The oil is actually a liquid wax that is indigestible to humans and has a laxative effect. However, indigenous people used jojoba nuts to make a coffee-like beverage and a peanut butter-like paste.
Jojoba oil was used traditionally to treat skin and scalp disorders, wounds, and sore throats. Now it’s widely used in pharmaceuticals and personal care products, and as an industrial lubricant.
Have you grown this plant?
Was it a “hit” or a “miss” in your garden?
Please share your experience in the comments below!
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Author Bio
Deane Alban is the creator of Southwest Gardener. She is a science writer with a bachelor’s degree in botany from the University of South Florida. Gardening is her lifelong passion. She’s been gardening in Tucson for 15 years.
Photo Credit
Culvitar413, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons