Common name:Mexican Palo Verde, Jerusalem Thorn
Botanical name:Parkinsonia aculeata

Light, airy tree with prickly stems and green bark. Very fast growing with sparse foliage & very long narrow leaves. Yellow flowers with orange red throats spring for at least a month. This is a messy and shortlived palo verdy. Usually found on limestone soils in areas with moisture but is strongly drought tolerant. Withstands saline conditions. Can be cold or drought deciduous.

Common name:Gaillardia
Botanical name:Gaillardia pulchella

Flowers of this plant are 3-4" across, with orange petals edged in yellow that frame a rust-colored center. This plant thrives in full sun and needs good drainage. It blooms from June until frost.

Common name:Red Yucca
Botanical name:Hesperaloe parviflora

Upright rosettes grow quickly to 3' x 5' wide. Spectacular accent for desert landscape. Leaves are dark green and strap-like. Coral red flower spikes emerge in spring & remain on plant till end of summer. Tolerates tough conditions including reflected heat and frost. Attracts humingbirds. Native to western Texas and northeastern Mexico.

Common name:Azure or Russian Sage
Botanical name:Perovskia X atriplicifolia

This broad perennial will grow 3'-6' tall and has small, gray green leaves with blue violet flowers that bloom in the summer.

Common name:Sweet Acacia
Botanical name:Acacia farnesiana (smallii)

Large thorny shrub or small tree has a soft texture as a result of its finely divided leaves. Bright yellow flowers have a light, sweet fragrance. Bloom is heaviest in the spring and may continue intermittently throughout summer and fall. This beautiful dense tree is evergreen in mild winters. Branches are armed with paired, 2" long spines. This tree is drought tolerant once it's established. Seed pods may create litter and caterpillars may appear in spring.