Fraser Photinia
A broadleaf evergreen shrub with glossy leaves and brilliant red new growth that matures to dark green. Often called red-tip photinia; Phoenix’s extreme heat and alkaline soils can make it challenging to grow. Special Features Vivid red new foliage, glossy mature leaves, and dense screening growth; tolerates selective pruning. Problems & Solutions Leaf scorch and […]
Plum – Beauty
An early-ripening Japanese plum producing sweet, juicy fruit with reddish-purple skin and amber flesh. ‘Beauty’ is a low-chill cultivar, but Phoenix heat and variable winter chilling can affect fruit production. Special Features Self-fruitful; another compatible Japanese plum flowering at the same time may improve yield. Commonly listed as needing approximately 250 chill hours; inadequate winter […]
Plum – Santa Rosa
Japanese plum producing aromatic, reddish-purple fruit with sweet-tart amber flesh, excellent fresh or preserved. This profile assumes ‘Santa Rosa’; Prunus salicina ‘Beauty’ is a different cultivar. Special Features Edible fruit, fragrant spring flowers, and self-fruitfulness; another compatible Japanese plum can improve production. Generally needs approximately 300–500 winter chill hours, which may limit reliable cropping in […]
Purple Robe Locust
Purple Robe locust (Robinia ‘Purple Robe’) is a fast-growing shade tree with fragrant, purple-pink flower clusters and airy, compound foliage. It can grow in Phoenix, but extreme summer heat and reflected sun can stress it. Special Features Fragrant, bee-attracting flowers; nitrogen-fixing roots; drought tolerance once established; provides summer shade and admits winter sunlight. Problems & […]
Red Oak
Northern red oak is a large eastern North American shade tree with pointed, lobed leaves and acorns. Quercus rubra is poorly adapted to Phoenix’s extreme summer heat and alkaline soils, despite its cold hardiness. Special Features Broad shade canopy, wildlife-supporting acorns, and russet to red fall color in suitable climates. Fall color is unreliable in […]
Senecio Skyscraper ‘Mount Everest’
Striking succulent with powdery blue-green cylindrical leaves on upright stems forming a dense, architectural mound. Excellent container or accent plant for low-water landscapes. Frost-tender and best sited in a warm, protected exposure. Special Features Striking blue-gray foliage; drought tolerant once established; year-round color and texture; deer resistant Problems & Solutions Root rot in poorly drained […]
Sweet Treat Pluerry
Sweet Treat Pluerry is a plum-cherry hybrid producing small, red-skinned fruit with yellow flesh and a very sweet flavor. It can grow in Phoenix, but fruit production depends on sufficient winter chill and compatible pollination. Special Features Exceptionally sweet plum-cherry fruit; attractive spring blossoms; suitable for backyard orchards. Commonly listed as requiring approximately 200–300 winter […]
Yellow Dot
A vigorous, spreading tropical groundcover with glossy, three-lobed leaves and small, yellow, daisy-like flowers; also known as wedelia or creeping oxeye. Special Features Dense soil-covering growth, a long flowering season, and flowers that attract pollinators; tolerates heat with adequate irrigation. Problems & Solutions Aggressive spreader and invasive in many warm regions; contain carefully, keep away […]
Yucca Aloifolia (Spanish Bayonet)
Spanish bayonet, a trunk-forming yucca with dense rosettes of stiff, sword-shaped leaves ending in extremely sharp points. Special Features Bold architectural form; drought, heat, and salt tolerant; showy flowers attract pollinating yucca moths where present. Problems & Solutions Sharp leaf tips pose an injury hazard; keep away from paths and play areas. Root and stem […]
Yucca Faxoniana (Faxon Yucca)
A bold, tree-form yucca native to the Chihuahuan Desert, with stout trunks and dense crowns of stiff, sword-shaped leaves edged with curling fibers. Special Features Sculptural desert accent; highly heat and drought tolerant once established, with ample cold hardiness for Zone 9b. Problems & Solutions Root and crown rot in wet soil: ensure excellent drainage […]