Caesalpinias make the landscape come alive with color. Their large bright flowers provide vibrant color for long periods of time. The shades of yellow, fiery red, and orange contrast with the feathery foliage. Commonly called bird of paradise, they range in size from medium shrubs to small trees. They thrive in the desert heat and can survive on little supplemental …
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Oenotheras, also known as Evening Primrose, are spreading or clumping groundcovers, native to the plains, grasslands and deserts of North America. They have large, showy four-petaled flowers in pink, white, or yellow, and create carpets of bright color in desert landscapes. Oenotheras are generally night-blooming plants, but most will stay open until midday. These widely adapted plants can be used …
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Cassias are native to the warm regions of Australia and Africa. Many of the Australian and North American species previously called Cassia have been reclassified to the genus Senna. However, these plants are still widely sold in our local plant nurseries under the scientific name of Cassia. Most cassias have fine textures foliage and bloom from late winter through spring. Most …
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These spectacular, non-invasive, ornamental clumping grasses are versatile and require very little maintenance. Muhlenbergias are native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico at elevations of 2500 to 7000 feet. With over 125 species, this large and diverse group can be used as a vertical specimen or accent, a softening feature around boulders and contrasting dessert plants, or a …
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The name calliandra refers to the beautiful stamens which make the tufted or ball-like flowers on these loosely branched shrubs. Their colors, ranging from pale pink through deep red, are indeed beautiful. These small to medium sized shrubs produce their flowers against a backdrop of finely divided, lacy-looking foliage. Calliandras can be used in a wide variety of landscape situations. Fairy dusters …
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Agaves are impressive leaf succulents with a wide range of color, texture and size to their rosettes. There are approximately 200 species found throughout the southwest, Mexico, and Central America. The bold rosettes are dramatic accents for the garden that contrast well with the fine texture of desert trees and shrubs. Agaves are some of the most useful desert plants, …
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Desert willow is a fast-growing tree reaching up to 30 feet with spectacular trumpet-shaped flowers and bright green, willow-like foliage. Chilopsis linearis is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, and is commonly seen in dry washes from 1,500 to 5,000 feet. The fragrant orchid-like flowers, in varying colors, attract hummingbirds. Desert willow blooms in clusters from May …
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Prosopis, commonly known as mesquites, are extremely adaptable and tolerant to a wide range of growing conditions. They adjust to little or abundant water and will survive during times of drought by slowing down their growth. Mesquites have supplied shade, food, and medicine for people of the desert for ages. Because every part of the tree is useful, it is …
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Palo Verdes are native to the arroyos and foothills of the southwestern deserts and Mexico. Their unique green to blue-green bark and branches carry on photosynthesis, even when their small leaves are not present. This is a great strategy by the plant to conserve water during dry seasons. In the spring, these trees are covered with masses of bright yellow …
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