Pindo Palm
A cold-hardy feather palm with arching, blue-gray fronds and edible, aromatic fruit used for jelly. Commonly sold as Butia capitata, landscape pindo palms are usually Butia odorata. Special Features Edible jelly-making fruit; graceful, recurved fronds; good cold tolerance for Zone 9b; moderate drought tolerance once established. Problems & Solutions Extreme desert heat, reflected sun, and […]
Purple Fountain Grass #1
A warm-season ornamental grass with arching burgundy foliage and soft, rosy-purple flower plumes that add movement and contrast to Phoenix gardens. Special Features Heat tolerant; moderately drought tolerant once established; colorful foliage and graceful plumes. ‘Rubrum’ generally produces little or no viable seed, unlike invasive green fountain grass. Problems & Solutions Frost damage: cut browned […]
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 […]
Pygmy Date Palm Jumbo 21″
A compact tropical palm with a slender trunk and gracefully arching, feathery fronds. Jumbo 21-inch generally refers to the nursery container size, not a distinct variety or mature size. Special Features Fine-textured tropical foliage; compact size suits sheltered courtyards and containers. Female plants may produce small, dark fruits when pollinated by a male plant. Problems […]
Tropical Hibiscus
Tropical shrub valued for large, showy flowers in many colors. Performs in low-desert heat only with regular water and afternoon shade; reflected west sun scorches foliage. Frost-tender and often used as a specimen, informal hedge, or container plant. Special Features Large tropical flowers; attracts hummingbirds and butterflies; can be trained as a small standard Problems […]
Red Yucca
A tough desert perennial with arching, narrow leaves edged in curling white fibers and tall stalks of tubular flowers; not a true yucca. Special Features Heat and drought tolerant; attracts hummingbirds; low maintenance; fibrous leaf margins without the sharp marginal teeth of many agaves. Problems & Solutions Root or crown rot in wet soil: improve […]
Sabal Palm (Cabbage Palm)
A stately, single-trunked palm native to the southeastern United States, with large, arching, fan-shaped leaves; also called cabbage palm. Special Features Cold hardy in Zone 9b; tolerant of wind, salt, and established drought. Flowers attract pollinators, and small black fruits feed birds. Problems & Solutions Phoenix heat and dry soil can cause leaf-tip browning; provide […]
Bougainvillea ‘Torch Glow’
Bougainvillea ‘Torch Glow’ is a compact, shrubby bougainvillea with stiff, upright branches topped by clusters of vivid magenta-pink bracts. Special Features Heat tolerant, drought tolerant once established, and colorful over a long season; needs no trellis and is less sprawling than vining bougainvilleas. Problems & Solutions Frost can damage leaves and stems; plant in a […]
Tropical Bird of Paradise
A clumping tropical perennial with upright, banana-like leaves and striking orange-and-blue flowers resembling exotic birds. Special Features Dramatic tropical foliage; distinctive, long-lasting cut flowers; suitable for sheltered patios and large containers. Problems & Solutions Extreme sun and reflected heat scorch leaves (provide afternoon shade); frost damages foliage and flowers (use frost cloth during freezes). Poor […]
White Mulberry
A fast-growing shade tree native to China, with a broad canopy and variably lobed leaves. Fruiting trees produce edible berries that may ripen white, pink, red, or purple-black. Special Features Dense summer shade; heat tolerant; tolerates some drought once established. Edible fruit attracts birds, and the leaves are the traditional food of silkworms. Problems & […]