Prickly Pear Cinnamon Bunny Ear
A compact prickly pear cactus with oval, bright green pads dotted with cinnamon-brown tufts of tiny, barbed bristles called glochids, creating a bunny-ear appearance. Special Features Distinctive cinnamon-colored glochids; heat and drought tolerant once established; sculptural pads provide year-round interest. Problems & Solutions Overwatering causes root and pad rot; improve drainage and let soil dry […]
Prickly Pear Old Mexico Gomei
A mostly spineless Mexican prickly pear with broad, flattened green pads and distinctive wavy or scalloped edges; often sold as Opuntia gomei ‘Old Mexico’. Special Features Sculptural, wavy-edged pads; few prominent spines; excellent heat and drought tolerance. Tiny irritating glochids may still be present. Problems & Solutions Overwatering and poor drainage cause rot; allow soil […]
Prickly Pear Santa Rita
A shrubby prickly pear cactus with rounded, blue-gray pads that develop striking purple and pink tones, especially during cool weather or drought. Commonly sold as Santa Rita prickly pear. Special Features Distinctive purple coloration; highly heat and drought tolerant; flowers attract native bees, and fruits provide wildlife food. Problems & Solutions Overwatering causes root and […]
Prickly Pear Engelmann’s
A Sonoran Desert native cactus with broad, flattened green pads, prominent spines, and colorful edible fruits. Special Features Excellent heat and drought tolerance; attracts native bees; fruits feed birds and mammals. Pads and fruits are edible after careful removal of spines and glochids. Problems & Solutions Overwatering causes root and pad rot; improve drainage and […]
Prickly Pear Green
A large, tree-like prickly pear cactus with broad, flattened green pads and edible fruit. Often nearly spineless, but pads and fruit still bear irritating hairlike glochids. Special Features Heat and drought tolerant; edible young pads and ripe fruit after proper removal of spines and glochids; flowers attract pollinators and fruit attracts wildlife. Problems & Solutions […]
Prickly Pear Lemon Bunny Ears
A compact, shrubby cactus with oval green pads dotted with lemon-yellow clusters of tiny barbed bristles called glochids, creating a bunny-ear appearance. Special Features Distinctive yellow-dotted pads; drought tolerant and well suited to desert gardens. Lacks long spines but has irritating, easily detached glochids. Problems & Solutions Overwatering causes root and pad rot; improve drainage […]
Pygmy Date Palm
A small, graceful palm with a slender, textured trunk and arching, finely divided fronds that create a soft, tropical appearance. Special Features Compact tropical accent suitable for containers and sheltered patios; female plants can produce small, dark, date-like fruits when pollinated. Problems & Solutions Fronds can suffer frost damage in Zone 9b; plant in a […]
Quick Silver Agave
A sculptural agave with broad, arching, silvery blue-green leaves forming an open rosette. Leaf margins are mostly smooth, but each leaf ends in a sharp terminal spine. Special Features Silvery foliage, graceful leaf shape, drought tolerance, and mostly toothless leaf margins; useful as a softer-looking desert accent. Problems & Solutions Harsh afternoon sun can scorch […]
Quiver Tree Aloe
A sculptural tree aloe native to southern Africa, with a thick, golden-tan trunk, repeatedly forked branches, and rosettes of succulent leaves. Currently classified as Aloidendron dichotomum. Special Features Distinctive branching silhouette, attractive peeling bark, and excellent drought tolerance once established; flowers attract nectar-feeding wildlife. Problems & Solutions Root and crown rot from excess moisture, especially […]
Shark Skin Agave
A sculptural agave with thick, rigid, triangular leaves and a rough, sharkskin-like texture. Usually sold as Agave ‘Sharkskin’, a hybrid with Agave scabra (also called A. asperrima) parentage rather than pure A. scabra. Special Features Bold architectural form; distinctive textured leaves; excellent heat and drought tolerance once established. Problems & Solutions Overwatering and poor drainage […]