Plant of the Month – December
Ocotillo Fouquieria splendens Plant Form: Deciduous succulent shrub Water Use: Very low, low Mature Size: 8-20 ft. tall x 5-10 ft. wide Exposure: Full sun, reflected sun Bloom Time: Spring (March – May), Summer (June – Aug) Native to: Southern California, southwest US, Mexico Hardiness: Cold hardy to 0-10°F Ocotillo is an iconic symbol of the southwest that forms a vase-shaped shrub with up to 100 wand-like, thorny stems that radiate from the crown. Small, oval, fleshy leaves appear […]
Plant of the Month – November
Desert Broom, Broom Baccharis Baccharis sarothroides Plant Form: Semi-deciduous shrub Water Use: Very low Mature Size: 6-12 ft. tall x 6-7 ft. wide Exposure: Full sun Bloom Time: Summer (June – August), Fall (September – October) Native to: Southern California, southwest US, Mexico Hardiness: Cold hardy to 15°F Desert Broom has branches that are so green, you won’t notice that it drops its small, narrow leaves during drought, making this rounded shrub look like a giant, green broom. This fast-growing, […]
Plant of the Month – October
Desert Wild Grape Vitis girdiana Plant Form: Deciduous vine Water Use: Low, moderate Mature Size: 10-30 ft. tall and wide Exposure: Full sun, part shade Bloom Time: Spring (March – May), Summer (June – August) Native to: Southern California, California Channel Islands Hardiness: Cold hardy to 0°F Desert Wild Grape is a fast-growing, deciduous vine that produces small but edible black grapes for birds and people. The silvery-green foliage turns color and drops in winter, but the persistent tendrils remain […]
Plant of the Month – September
Deer Grass Muhlenbergia rigens Plant Form: Ornamental Grass Water Use: Low Mature Size: 2-6 ft. tall and wide Exposure: Full sun, part sun Bloom Time: Fall (September – November) Native to: California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, northern Mexico Hardiness: Cold hardy to -10°F Deer Grass is an adaptable, large bunch grass with blue-green foliage that softens desert landscapes wherever it is planted. Fast-growing, it typically reaches mature size in one or two years, with leaves reaching lengths of three […]
Plant of the Month – August
Desert Senna Senna armata Plant Form: Shrub Water Use: Very low Mature Size: 2-3 ft. tall x 2-4 ft. wide Exposure: Full sun Bloom Time: Spring (April-May), Summer (June – July) Native to: California, Arizona, Nevada, Baja California Hardiness: Cold hardy to 15°F Desert Senna is one of those surprising plants that almost disappears into the landscape until it bursts into bloom with an explosion of flowers that can cover almost every inch of the plant. Most of the year, […]
Plant of the Month – July
Pencil Cholla Cylindropuntia ramosissima Plant Form: Cactus, succulent Water Use: Extremely low, very low Mature Size: 5-6 ft. tall and wide Exposure: Full sun Bloom Time: Spring (March-May) Native to: California, Baja California, northwestern Mexico Hardiness: Cold hardy to 10°F Pencil Cholla can be either erect and treelike, or trailing on the ground with rising branch tips. It also expresses its individuality in the number of spines it produces, with some plants having no spines, others sporting sparse spines, while […]
