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:Sprawling Prickly Pear
Botanical name:Opuntia phaeacantha
This attractive cactus grows slowly to 3' x 3'. It has sage-green pads and yellow-orange flowers that bloom in summer. It is extremely drought tolerant. Accepts full sun to partial shade. Needs good drainage.
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:Desert Willow 'AZT Bi-Color'
Botanical name:Chilopsis linearis 'AZT Bi-Color'
Chilopsis linearis 'AZT Bi-Color' grows quickly to 30' x 15'. Glossy green leaves contrast nicely with the gray-white bark. Fragrant flowers appaear spring to fall and are unique among the Desert Willows with dark burgandy petals and pink throats. This tree will need some pruning to achieve and attractive single or multitrunked form. They provide excellent filtered shade for understory plantings. Consider planting where you need winter sun, as they are deciduous. -Arid Zone Trees
Designer: El Paso Desert Botantical Gard | El Paso Desert Botantical Gardens 32 |
Photographer: GardenSoft |
Practice grass-cycling by leaving short grass clippings on lawns after mowing, so that nutrients and organic matter are returned to the soil.
Even during our hottest months we don't need to water daily.
Give your plants a chance to breathe.
Water late at night or in the early morning hours to avoid losses to wind and evaporation.
Develop healthy soil for plants that are vigorous and naturally pest-resistant.