Mealycup Sage – Salvia farinacea
Height: 1 – 3 feet Width: 1 – 2 feet Bloom color: Dark Purple Flowering season: Spring, Summer, Fall USDA minimum zone: 8 Cold hardiness: 10° F
Lily of the Nile – Agapanthus africanus
Lily of the Nile is a South African perennial that looks somewhat like a giant clumping grass because of its non-branching form and the long, strappy leaves that grow from its center. However, when its flower stalks emerge in the summer, there’s no mistaking the identity of this unique and easy-to-grow evergreen. 20 to 50…
Lindheimer’s Muhly – Muhlenbergia lindheimeri
Height: 3 – 5 feet Width: 3 – 5 feet Bloom color: White to Tan Flowering season: Fall USDA minimum zone: 6 Cold hardiness: -10° F
Little Rascal Buckwheat – Eriogonum fasciculatum ‘Little Rascal’
‘Little Rascal’ is an Arizona native that was selected by Civano Nursery for its compact growth habit, long flowering season, beautiful silvery foliage, and superior heat tolerance. It also endures temperatures as low as -20° F, so ‘Little Rascal’ does great in colder climates, too. Because it needs very little maintenance throughout the year, this…
Large-Flowered Coreopsis – Coreopsis grandiflora
Height: 1 – 3 feet Width: 1 – 2 feet Bloom color: Yellow Flowering season: Spring, Summer USDA minimum zone: 4 Cold hardiness: -20° F
Lemon Dalea – Dalea capitata
If you’ve ever come across a Lemon Dalea in spring or fall, you may be inclined to think that it is named for the masses of lemon-yellow flowers that appear on spikes when this groundcover is in bloom. If you’ve ever stepped on a Lemon Dalea, however, you probably know that the plant is named…
Horsetail – Equisetum hyemale
Horsetail is a non-flowering, evergreen, ornamental “grass” that craves shade and moisture. This distinctive plant has the rare ability to thrive in a wide range of soils, especially boggy, poorly drained soils that tend to pose a problem for most desert adapted trees and shrubs. It can be submerged in water along edges of ponds…
Hot Lips Sage – Salvia x microphylla ‘Hot Lips’
Hot Lips Sage has gained fast and widespread popularity for its desirable combination of sensory appeal and environmental toughness. Drought tolerant and sun-loving, this botanical superstar puts on an outstanding performance through the intense heat of Tucson summers, but also survives our coldest winter temperatures. Hot Lips Sage’s bright green foliage has a pleasant aroma…
Ice Plant – Drosanthemum hispidum
Height: 1 – 2 feet Width: 2 – 3 feet Bloom color: Purple Flowering season: Spring, Summer USDA minimum zone: 9 Cold hardiness: 20° F