El Paso General Gardens 24

Common name:Soaptree Yucca
Botanical name:Yucca elata

Evergreen treelike yucca grows at a moderate rate to 10' x 4'. Clumps will typically have 5-20 rosettes of pale green leaves. Leaves have sharp tips. White clusters of flowers appear on tall stalks in the late spring. Accepts full sun. Leave dead leaves on trunk to avoid sunburn damage. Very frost tolerant. Native to the southwest U.S. and Mexico.

Common name:Pinon Pine, Pinyon or Nut Pine
Botanical name:Pinus edulis

This slow-growing, small conifer has dark green pairs of needles and is a stately tree. Its cones produce edible pine nuts.

Soils and Compost:

Practice grass-cycling by leaving short grass clippings on lawns after mowing, so that nutrients and organic matter are returned to the soil.

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:

Develop healthy soil for plants that are vigorous and naturally pest-resistant.