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 Purple
A Southwestern prickly pear with flattened blue-green pads that develop purple tones, especially during cool weather or drought, and long, dark spines near the upper pad edges. Special Features Seasonal purple coloration; exceptional drought tolerance; heat tolerant and cold hardy in Zone 9b; flowers attract native bees. Problems & Solutions Overwatering or poor drainage can […]
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 […]
Quadricolor Agave
A compact, variegated agave (Agave lophantha ‘Quadricolor’) with narrow, toothed leaves displaying dark green bands, a pale green center, and creamy yellow margins that can blush pink or red in cool weather. Special Features Striking multicolored foliage, seasonal pink-red highlights, drought tolerance, and abundant offsets. Problems & Solutions Overwatering and poor drainage cause rot; let […]
Queen Victoria Agave
A compact, slow-growing agave forming a tight rosette of dark green leaves edged with white margins, each tipped with a sharp terminal spine. Monocarpic, producing a tall flower spike once at maturity after many years, then dying. An elegant desert accent. Special Features Striking white-margined leaf markings for year-round interest; extremely drought and heat tolerant […]
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 […]