Common name:Arizona or Velvet Ash
Botanical name:Fraxinus velutina
This rounded tree will grow 30'-50' tall and has glossy, bright green leaves that turn yellow and gold in the fall. The leaves are soft and velvety, and the trunk is slender and gray. This tree is hardy to about -10 degrees F. This deciduous tree is heat tolerant and needs a moderate amount of water.
Common name:Waxleaf Privet
Botanical name:Ligustrum japonicum 'Texanum'
This dense, evergreen shrub reaches 6'-8' tall and 4'-6' wide. Waxleaf Privet has dark green, leathery, evergreen leaves that make a great privacy hedge. White fragrant flowers bloom in spring and summer. Bees love these flowers! Blue black berries follow bloom season. Part of this shrub may be poisonous if ingested. It prefers full sun to light shade with a medium amount of watering, more in hot summer months.
Common name:Zebra Grass
Botanical name:Miscanthus sinensis 'Zebrinus'
This grass can grow up to 6' in height and 3-4 feet in width. This variety has a white stripe on the leaf traveling horizontally.
Common name:Tobira
Botanical name:Pittosporum tobira
This large, dense, evergreen shrub or small tree has shiny dark green leaves. In the spring, clusters of small, cream-colored flowers appear with the fragrance of orange blossoms. Tobira can be grown in full sun or partial shade. It is considered one of the most durable shrubs in California landscapes.
Designer: Sallie Homan | El Paso Shade Garden 2 |
Photographer: GardenSoft |
Maintain a two to four inch layer of mulch on the soil surface to reduce weeds, infiltrate rain water, and reduce compaction.
Remember to check your irrigation system at least once a month, especially your valves, sprinkler heads, and drip emitters.
Attract, or buy beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings to control pest outbreaks in your garden.