El Paso General Gardens 18

Common name:Desert Spoon
Botanical name:Dasylirion wheeleri

Evergreen with open rosette form grows at a moderate rate to 4' x 4'. Saw toothed gray-green leaves have interesting twisting affect. Flowes are cream and appear on tall stalks late spring to summer. Distinct accent plant. Accepts full sun and is very frost tolerant. Native to southern Arizona and the Chihuahuan Desert.

Common name:Engelmann's Prikly Pear
Botanical name:Opuntia engelmannii

Evergreen shrublike cactus grows at a moderate rate to 4' x 8'. Pads are medium green and covered in white-gray spines. Showy yellow flowers appear spring to early summer and are followed by dark red fruits. Birds relish the fruits. Accepts reflected sun. Native to the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts.

Common name:Joshua Tree
Botanical name:Yucca brevifolia

This massive tree-like plant grows slowly to 30', but can reach 60' in nature. Develops a distinctive trunk to almost 3' wide. Leaves are short stiff and gray-green leaves. Older leaves persist on trunk pointing down. Thick, fleshy greenish white flowers appear late winter into spring. Accepts full sun. Very drought tolerant. Needs good drainage. Native to Arizona, California and Nevada

Soils and Compost:

Maintain a two to four inch layer of mulch on the soil surface to reduce weeds, infiltrate rain water, and reduce compaction.

Water Saving Tip:

Different areas of your landscape have different water requirements.

Shrubs need much less water than lawns and drip systems should never be scheduled on the same program with lawns.

Establish separate watering schedules for those areas.

Integrated Pest Management:

Remove irrigation water and fertilizer from areas where you don't want weeds to grow.