Accelerated growth for sapling production could provide a potential solution to fighting climate change while conserving water, as well as contribute to habitat restoration efforts. Our hypothesis was that aquaponics will increase the growth rate of shoots and roots in their early stages. The growth of xeric trees was compared using traditional soil methods vs aquaponic conditions. Three trials were conducted over the course of one year using seven different species. We conducted two trials during the summer and one trial during the fall/winter in the controlled environment greenhouse at Santa Fe Community College. All varieties were started from seed and planted on the same day. In all three trials, tree performance under aquaponic conditions out-performed conventional soil treatments. In this preliminary study, data from all three trials support our hypothesis. Additionally, we observed that transplanting the saplings from water media to soil stressed the trees. Proper transplanting and hardening off from greenhouse to outdoor conditions should be optimized for successful aquaponic production of xeric tree.