Silver Lady Slipper (Slipper Plant)
Succulent shrub native to the Sonoran Desert with upright, gray-green to silvery, nearly leafless stems and small slipper-shaped red flowers at the stem tips. Well adapted to hot, arid, low-desert conditions and reflected heat. Special Features Drought tolerant once established; excellent heat and reflected-sun tolerance; attracts hummingbirds; sculptural leafless stems Problems & Solutions Overwatering causes […]
Yucca Baccata (Banana Yucca)
Large clumping yucca native to the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts with stiff, spine-tipped blue-green leaves. Produces large cream-colored flower clusters in spring followed by fleshy edible fruit. Extremely drought and cold tolerant. Special Features Edible fleshy fruit; pollinated by yucca moths; provides wildlife food and habitat; extremely drought and cold tolerant Problems & Solutions Sharp […]
Yucca Blue (Thompson’s Yucca)
Clumping, trunk-forming yucca native to the Chihuahuan Desert with stiff, blue-gray sword-shaped leaves and tall spikes of creamy white blooms. Excellent for low-water desert landscapes. Special Features Blue-gray foliage for year-round color; attracts pollinators; extremely drought tolerant; well adapted to Sonoran conditions Problems & Solutions Sharp leaf tips (plant away from high-traffic areas); root rot […]
Yucca Filifera (St. Peter’s Palm)
Large branching tree-form yucca native to central Mexico. Develops a thick trunk with age and dense rosettes of stiff green leaves edged with fine curly filaments. Matures into a dramatic architectural specimen. Special Features Striking tree-form silhouette; heat, drought, and poor-soil tolerant; wildlife habitat; filamentous leaf margins Problems & Solutions Sharp leaf tips (plant away […]
Teddy Bear Cholla
A Sonoran Desert cactus with upright, branching stems densely covered in golden spines, giving it a deceptively soft, teddy-bear appearance. Special Features Exceptional heat and drought tolerance; striking golden spines glow when backlit. Detached stem segments can root and form colonies. Problems & Solutions Barbed spines and easily detached joints pose serious injury risks; keep […]
Creosote Bush
An iconic Sonoran Desert shrub with slender branches and small, resinous leaves that release the desert’s distinctive scent after rain. Special Features Extremely heat and drought tolerant; aromatic foliage; exceptionally long-lived; native flowers support desert pollinators. Problems & Solutions Frequent irrigation and poor drainage can cause root rot; keep soil dry between waterings. Difficult to […]