Archive for “Plant of the Month” Category

Plant of the Month: Azure Bush Germander

April 8, 2022

Something Blue Azure Bush Germander (Teucrium fruticans ‘Azureum’) is a unique blue flowering perennial that thrives in full sun & drought tolerant Arizona gardens. With striking silvery sage foliage and cooling blue purple blooms that cover the bush in Winter extending into Spring, it’s sure to bring pollinators and brighten up your garden at a time of year when most …

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Plant of the Month: Globe Mallow

March 15, 2022

Globe mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua), both drought tolerant and beautiful, brings a unique “cottage-garden” feel to the desert plant palette along with some surprises. In spring a flush of colorful flowers are produced that will cause people to stop in their tracks. After that, globe mallow will bloom off and on throughout the summer and fall. This shrubby, perennial is native …

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Plant of the Month: Aloe

February 10, 2022

Aloes are striking succulents from southern and eastern Africa that offer some of the best color for Arizona gardens with their impressive and long-lasting show of flowers during the winter and early spring. Aloes have numerous forms ranging from low groundcovers to treelike species. Small clustering forms work well in containers and the tree forms work well as accents or …

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Plant of the Month – Texas Mountain Laurel

January 23, 2022

Texas Mountain Laurel Note this plant was recently reclassified to Dermatophyllum secundiflorum, but is often still sold as Sophora secundiflora. Description This evergreen shrub grows slowly, in time becoming treelike with multiple trunks. A typical mature size is 15 feet high and 10 feet wide. Glossy dark leaves up to 5 inches long are divided into seven to nine 1-inch …

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Plant of the Month: Succulents Can Add a Little Drama to Your Yard

December 19, 2021

Succulents can steal the show in a drought-tolerant landscape. Their structural and exotic shapes add whimsy and originality to a desert yard. With a little knowledge, succulents are as easy to maintain as any other drought-tolerant plant. Here’s the secret: Succulents encompass a wide variety of plants. While there are general succulent-care guidelines, it is important to understand how each …

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PLANT OF THE MONTH: PINK TRUMPET VINE OR PODRANEA

September 19, 2021

The Pink Trumpet Vine, Podranea ricasoliana, exuberantly blooms in fall with flared, trumpet-shaped flowers. If looking for seasonal color, be sure to add this one to your plant palette. Note – be sure to properly identify at the nursery as it can commonly be mistaken for Bower Vine or Pandorea jasminoides. DESCRIPTION The lush green leaves and trumpet-shaped flowers of …

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Plant of the Month: Desert Milkweed – Fit for a Queen and Other Royals

August 19, 2021

Botanical Name Asclepias subulata Common Names Desert Milkweed, Jumete, Rush Milkweed, Reed-stem Milkweed Habitat / Range Desert milkweed is often found along desert washes and sandy flats, and sometimes on rocky hillsides in lowlands up to 2,500 feet.  It will settle into disturbed soils, so can be found along roadsides as well. The range of desert milkweed extends from western …

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Desert Milkweed Plants

Plant of the Month: 5 Plants That Can Take the Southwest Heat

June 16, 2021

It’s no surprise that the biggest challenge to growing plants in our region is the intense heat and dryness of summer, which is a stressful environment for plants. Thankfully, there are several plants that thrive in a hot, dry climate. Here are a few of Southwest Gardening’s Noelle Johnson’s favorite plants that can take the Southwest heat.   1. Bush Lantana (Lantana …

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Plant of the Month: Pollinator-Friendly Plants are All the Buzz

May 10, 2021

Bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies are just a few of the helpful pollinators flying through our landscapes. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, pollinators are responsible for assisting over 80% of the world’s flowering plants to reproduce. We depend on pollinators for the gardens we enjoy, plant materials we utilize, and the food we eat. Bees are by far the …

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Plant of the Month: Calling All Chocolate Lovers!!

April 16, 2021

How would you like to be greeted in the morning by the delicious, rich smell of chocolate from your garden? If that sounds AMAZING, Berlandiera lyrata, or “Chocolate Flower” is the plant for you! When the plant is in full flower, it gives off a distinctive chocolate scent. Yum! This low-growing perennial has coarse, evergreen foliage, with yellow daisy-like flowers …

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Plant of the Month: Justicia

February 8, 2021

A different kind of flower this Valentine’s season. With long, colorful, tubular flowers, justicias are a hummingbird’s delight. Flower colors range from yellow to deep red. Justicias’ green foliage contrasts well with gray desert plants. Native to tropical and subtropical regions, they can be used in many types of landscapes. These semi-evergreen shrubs bloom throughout the year, inviting hummingbirds into …

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Plant of the Month: Pencil Milkbush

January 21, 2021

Add a little drama to your winter landscape with a Pencil Milkbush, Euphorbia mauritanica! This succulent is drought tolerant, perfect for your desert landscape and adds a pop of color when it blooms. We love Euphorbias in the winter! The Pencil Milkbush (sometimes called Pencil Cactus) is known for its pencil-sized stems and little yellow flowers that bloom during our …

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Pencil Milkbush