Desert Tested: Favorite Plants

There are a lot of native and regionally native plants to choose from that do well here in the Sonoran Desert.  But while there is great diversity, there are some standouts.  Today, we’ll look at my favorite trees and large shrubs (non cacti).

Trees

1.      Mesquite:  Mesquite, preferably velvet mesquite, is probably my favorite of the trees.  It can grow fast and tall with a little extra water and pruning; can look quite dead, but add water and viola, new growth; gives a woodsy feel with its dark trunk and deep green leaves; and provide a wonderful and nutritious food staple with its bean pods.

2.      Desert willow:  These trees, like all natives, will grow as large as the watering/water table will let them (within reason).  They provide large orchid like flower clusters and with breeding, now come in some real nice deep colors.  The hummingbirds will feed on the flowers as well, which is always a plus.

3.      Ironwood:  Ironwood trees are considered slow growing, but only to get established (2-5 years, assuming you bought and transplanted yours). Once they have accepted their new site they can grow at a decent rate.  They are almost evergreen as they will lose their leaves very briefly at flowering time.  Their seeds are also edible if you grind them.  The flower flush in early spring provides a smoky lavender cloud that can be eye arresting.

4.      Texas Mountain Laurel:  This small tree or large shrub has wonderful compound oval leaves that give an unusual texture in the desert garden.  They’re also a bright, dark green, which is unusual to see.  The show stopper, however are the panicles of purple flower clusters that remind one of wisteria, but with the most astounding fruit gum scent. It is a true slow grower and has large red seeds born in grey seed pods (seeds can be poisonous), but I still feel they are worth the effort.  With time and training, they can cover a wall or they can provide year round screening.

http://ag.arizona.edu/pima/gardening/aridplants/Sophora_secundiflora.html

5.      Catclaw Acacia:  This unusual native is not for most situations, but remains a favorite of mine.  It can get quite large, 20H’ x 30W’, but unlike most trees, it has the tendency to branch low and wide.  It is very difficult to prune for an upright stature.  However, with some pruning and some age, it can be quite a specimen tree with large twisting, low slung branches.  It also has recurved thorns along the branches and stems that are very nasty and therefore provide a great impenetrable barrier.

Shrubs

1.      Jojoba:  Jojoba plants are slow growing and are dioecious (sexes are on two different plants) making it necessary to get one of each sex if you want to harvest the jojoba nut.  Jojoba is used commercially for the oils found in the nut and can be used for homeopathy.  But the main reason I really like this plant is its color and texture.  It has a warm soft green tone to the leaves with hints of yellow and orange that gives it a sunset glow appearance.  The texture of the medium sized oval leaves is also outstanding in the desert garden.

2.      Ocotillo:  Although this plant leafs out only with good rains, or watering, its vertical, spindly branches provide a unique accent in the yard.  When the red flowers bloom, they are frequented by hummingbirds as well.

3.      Texas Ranger:  These have been widely used along freeways in the southwest for many years, which has made them a bit ubiquitous.  They also bear the unfortunate circumstance of being pruned into balls and squares, which reduces the flowering ability of these plants as flowers form on two year wood.  However, there is a large variety to choose from that takes them well beyond the freeway familiarity.  This group of plants can provide year round interest and stunning flushes of blooms related to the monsoonal rains.  They can get a bit untamed with time, but judicial and appropriate pruning will bring them back to glory.

http://www.public.asu.edu/~camartin/plants/Plant%20html%20files/leucophyllumfrutescens.html

4.      Baja Fairy Duster and hybrids:  The bright red flower ‘puffs’, actually the flower stamens, are the most outstanding feature of these shrubs.  They tend to retain the leaves and flowers longer than the native species and are one of the very top hummingbird flowers around. The plants do not tolerate freezes well, but they will recover with warmer temps.

5.      Chaparral Sage:  This is one potently and pleasantly scented plants, if you are into that kinda’ thing.  The approximately 5’ x 5’ shrub has scented foliage you can use similarly to lavender and has whorled purple flower ascending along a central stem.  Hummingbirds also love this plant.

http://www.naturewideimages.com/7.html

There are other shrubs I am still considering and researching.  The desert hackberry can be utilized as a large impenetrable evergreen barrier plant that the song birds and quail love while the Apache Plume I have heard many great things, but just recently purchased and planted (so far, so good).  There is also the widespread favorite, bougainvillea, which provides the most stunning block of color against a wall.  Some of the above mentioned plants are still not widely known to many, but I hope you will look into them further and see if any will work for you.