Dwarf Cara Cara Navel Orange – Citrus Orange Navel Cara Cara (Dwarf)
Harvest time is November to March.
Height: 8 – 12 feet
Width: 8 – 12 feet
Bloom color: White
Flowering season: Spring
USDA minimum zone: 9
Cold hardiness: 24° F
Dwarf Century Plant – Agave desmettiana
Height: 2 – 3 feet
Width: 3 – 4 feet
Bloom color: Pale Yellow
Flowering season: Summer (after 8+ years age)
USDA minimum zone: 9
Cold hardiness: 25° F
Dwarf Clementine Mandarin – Citrus Mandarin Clementine (Dwarf)
Harvest time is November to December in Tucson.
Height: 6 – 8 feet
Width: 6 – 8 feet
Bloom color: White
Flowering season: Spring
USDA minimum zone: 9
Cold hardiness: 24° F
Desert Lavender – Hyptis emoryi
If you’ve ever smelled the unmistakable perfume of lavender while hiking through Sabino Canyon, this desert native was probably to blame! Desert Lavender’s silvery foliage releases the namesake scent when something brushes against it, and when rainfall wets the leaves. This semi-evergreen shrub’s brilliant, silver sheen comes from the soft, wooly, water-conserving fuzz that covers…
Desert Lobelia – Lobelia laxiflora
Height: 2 – 3 feet
Width: 2 – 4 feet
Bloom color: Red/Yellow
Flowering season: Summer, Fall
USDA minimum zone: 7
Cold hardiness: 0° F
Desert Marigold – Baileya multiradiata
This native perennial can be found sprinkled in thick yellow masses along the roadsides in the desert during spring. The wooly, grey foliage is soft to the touch, and the singular stems are topped with perfect lemon-yellow daisy-like flowers. While its most impressive show takes place in the spring, flowering is also triggered by rainfall…
Desert Milkweed – Asclepias subulata
The Desert Milkweed, a tough native with creamy-yellow flowers that appear in spring, summer, and fall, are absolutely delectable to butterflies. Desert Milkweed is a regal vase-shaped perennial with grey green stems. New growth often has small leaves that don’t stick around unless there is ample humidity. It tolerates a range of soils, given that…
Desert Museum Palo Verde – Parkinsonia hybrid ‘Desert Museum’
Desert Museum Palo Verde is a hybrid with three parents that combines the most desirable qualities of each one. It stands out from other varieties of Palo Verde with a distinctively upright growth habit, brighter green color, thornless branches, and a longer blooming period. Its lemon yellow flowers are large for a Palo Verde, opening…
Desert Penstemon – Penstemon pseudospectabilis
Penstemons are a large group of plants composed of many wild species found growing in a variety of climates, as well as numerous hybrids that have been developed for a wide range of characteristics. Available in every color from white to deep purple, Penstemon’s spikes of flowers are closely associated with hummingbirds, who prefer their…