Passion Fruit ‘Possum Purple’
Vigorous tropical vine producing edible purple passion fruit. Features deeply lobed leaves and showy, intricate flowers. Grows rapidly and is trained on trellises, fences, or arbors; ‘Possum Purple’ is a self-fertile, heat-adapted selection. Special Features Produces edible passion fruit; attracts bees and butterflies; provides dense coverage on structures; fast screening. Problems & Solutions Root rot […]
Canary Island Date Palm
Large, stately palm native to the Canary Islands. Develops a thick, pineapple-textured trunk with age and dense arching fronds. Widely used as a specimen or street tree in warm desert climates. Special Features Bold tropical form with a distinctive pineapple-shaped trunk base; drought tolerant once established; effective as a large specimen or avenue tree. Problems […]
Red Bird of Paradise
A fast-growing, heat-loving shrub with ferny foliage and brilliant orange-red flowers from late spring through fall. In the low desert it freezes to the ground most winters and regrows vigorously from the roots. A reliable summer-color workhorse. Special Features Attracts hummingbirds and butterflies; blooms through peak summer heat; extremely heat tolerant; low water Problems & […]
Firecracker Plant (Coral Fountain)
A fountain-like shrub with slender, rush-like green stems that arch and cascade outward. Produces tubular scarlet flowers over a long warm season and is highly attractive to hummingbirds. Performs reliably in low-desert Phoenix heat. Special Features Attracts hummingbirds and butterflies; heat and drought tolerant once established; long bloom season; excellent cascading over walls, slopes, and […]
Shrimp Plant
Tropical shrub valued for distinctive drooping flower spikes with overlapping bracts resembling a shrimp, blooming nearly year-round in warm climates. Performs best in sheltered, partly shaded spots in the low desert, where full afternoon sun bleaches the bracts. Special Features Long bloom season; attracts hummingbirds and butterflies; colorful overlapping bracts; frost-sensitive but usually rebounds from […]
Strawberry Tree (Jamaican Cherry / Panama Berry)
Fast-growing tropical tree producing small, sweet red fruit with a strawberry-like flavor. Tolerates heat and drought once established but is frost sensitive; in Zone 9b it defoliates or dies back in freezes. Can self-seed prolifically and is considered weedy in frost-free regions. Special Features Edible fruit attractive to birds; near year-round fruiting in frost-free spots; […]
Snail Vine
Fast-growing subtropical twining vine (syn. Cochliasanthus caracalla) valued for uniquely coiled, snail-shaped fragrant flowers in lavender, purple and cream. Thrives in low-desert summer heat on a support but is frost-tender. Special Features Highly fragrant, ornamentally unique coiled flowers; attracts butterflies and bees; fast coverage Problems & Solutions Frost tender (cut back and mulch after freeze; […]
Coral Passion Flower
Vigorous tendril-climbing vine with coral-pink to salmon-red flowers. Provides fast cover for trellises and fences. Frost-tender in the low desert and needs a protected microclimate with winter frost protection. Special Features Showy coral to salmon-red flowers; attracts hummingbirds and butterflies; host plant for Gulf Fritillary larvae; fast structure cover Problems & Solutions Frost sensitive (shelter […]
Mastic Tree
An evergreen large shrub or small multi-stem tree from the Mediterranean, valued for dense dark green aromatic foliage and tolerance of heat, drought and poor soils. Small red-to-black ornamental fruits attract birds. Excellent low-water screen or hedge for hot, dry climates. Special Features Drought and reflected-heat tolerant; aromatic resinous foliage; bird-attracting berries; alkaline-soil tolerant Problems […]
Yellow Lady Banks Rose
Vigorous, nearly thornless climbing rose prized for a massive spring display of small, double yellow flowers. Blooms once per year on old wood. Heat and drought tolerant once established and ideal for covering arbors, walls, and fences. Special Features Nearly thornless canes; abundant spring flush of small double flowers; heat and drought tolerant; fast structural […]