Tecoma has long been a hot garden favorite for its blooming habits, high heat tolerance, fast growth rate, and versatility in the landscape. Developed in Phoenix by an esteemed horticulturalist and ASU professor, ‘Bells of Fire’ has fiery red blooms in the cooler spring and fall seasons, with red-orange blooms throughout the hottest summer months.…
Height: 12 – 18 inches
Width: 1 – 2 feet
Bloom color: Purple, White or Pink
Flowering season: Summer
USDA minimum zone: 6
Cold hardiness: 0° F
Bird of paradise is, without a doubt, a showstopper specimen plant. Its grey-green foliage is similar to that of a banana plant, and its spectacular flower resembles tropical birds. Blossoms appear in spring and fall and are more profuse in cooler weather. It is also quite drought tolerant, and will thrive in most soils. Long-lasting…
This medium, rounded shrub is one of the many reasons we’re lucky to be gardening in the Southwest! Virtually unknown outside of its native habitat, this tough, versatile shrub is right at home in almost any setting, easily blending into courtyards, patio areas, informal hedges, landscape foundations and rock or cactus gardens. Black Dalea’s delicate,…
Height: 6 – 8 feet
Width: 4 – 6 feet
Bloom color: Dark Purple
Flowering season: Summer, Fall
USDA minimum zone: 5
Cold hardiness: -5° F
Figs are mentioned in many of our earliest texts, and evidence suggests that these broad, deciduous trees have been in cultivation for thousands of years. The fig tree’s leaf, in particular, is a widely familiar shape that has provided some of the world’s most famous statues and paintings with strategic covering and a modicum of…
The Arizona rosewood is one of the toughest evergreen shrubs around. It will take reflected heat or sun and is incredibly drought-tolerant. It makes a lovely screen or informal hedge without needing much maintenance or supplemental water. The slender, deep green leaves look very similar to Oleander, making this native shrub a non-toxic alternative that…
Blanket flower is a cold hardy herbaceous perennial with extraordinary flower power. It occurs in almost every part of North America, and some sources claim that the common name “blanket flower” refers to the plant’s habit of covering large fields and meadows with solid blankets of color. There are many cultivars available, with ‘Arizona Sun’…
The large, velvety, star-shaped leaves of Arizona Sycamore turn golden-brown in fall, and are a truly unique sight in the arid southwest. This deciduous tree’s mottled white bark is equally distinctive, resembling camouflage as it peels in large patches; lending an uncommon brightness to desert winter landscapes that tend to be primarily brown and grey.…