Common name:Texas Mountain Laurel
Botanical name:Sophora secundiflora
Large evergreen shrub or small tree grows slowly to 8' x 6'. Dense glossy foliage. Large purple clusters of wisteria like flowers appear in spring and smell like grape bubblebum. Light tan pods follow blooms and contain bright red seeds. Seeds are poisonous but extremely hard. Thornless & drops very little leaf litter. Susc. to caterpillars. Lush looking. Native to Chihuahuan Desert.
Common name:Beaver-Tail Prickly Pear
Botanical name:Opuntia basilaris
Low, spreading cactus grows at a moderate rate to 1' x 3'. Pads are blue-gray with small brown spines. Flowers are magenta to pink and appear in the spring. This cactus offers vibrant spring color to your yard. Accepts reflected sun. Native to the Sonoran and Mojave deserts.
Common name:Donkey Tail Euphorbia
Botanical name:Euphorbia myrsinites
This hardy perennial grows 4-6" and has blue glaucous leaves that are stiff and round, set closely to the stem. Flattish clusters of chartreuse to yellow flowers bloom between late winter and early spring.
Common name:Mexican Bird Of Paradise
Botanical name:Caesalpinia mexicana
Shrub or small tree grows to 10' x 8' yellow flowers in 3-6" long racemes. Ferny dark green foliage and spectacular yellow flowers form spikes at the tips of branches. Native of Mexico. No thorns. Moderate to fast grower. Attracts hummingbirds.
Designer: n/a | LC Gardens General 33 |
Photographer: GardenSoft |
Maintain a two to four inch layer of mulch on the soil surface to reduce weeds, infiltrate rain water, and reduce compaction.
Water-wise plants can be beautiful as well as practical.
Ask at your local nursery for the types of plants that have minimal watering needs.
Remove irrigation water and fertilizer from areas where you don't want weeds to grow.