Mexican Heather – Cuphea hyssopifolia
Height: 1 – 2 feet Width: 2 – 3 feet Bloom color: Pink, Purple or White Flowering season: Spring, Summer, Fall USDA minimum zone: 9 Cold hardiness: 28° F
Mexican Honeysuckle – Justicia spicigera
In my garden, and many gardens across the Southwest, this herbaceous shrub is “Hummingbird Central” from spring until first frost. During this long, exuberant blooming season, Mexican Honeysuckle is constantly abuzz with visits from hummingbirds and even some intermittent butterflies! All of this activity is focused around the clusters of tubular, neon-orange flowers that stand…
Mexican Oregano – Poliomintha maderensis
Height: 2 – 3 feet Width: 2 – 3 feet Bloom color: Purple Flowering season: Spring, Summer, Fall USDA minimum zone: 7 Cold hardiness: 10° F
Mexican Petunia – Ruellia brittoniana
On the Mexican petunia, lavender-blue flowers present themselves in mid-spring and continuously emerge until the cold weather arrives. Like its namesake, Mexican petunia blossoms are quite similar to the annual, petunia, but the two are unrelated. Though the foliage appears lustrous and delicate, this shrubby plant can thrive in a variety of conditions, including dry…
Mimosa – Albizia julibrissin
Height: 20 – 30 feet Width: 20 – 35 feet Bloom color: Pink Flowering season: Summer USDA minimum zone: 6 Cold hardiness: 0° F
Mock Orange – Pittosporum tobira
Mock Orange is named for its springtime clusters of small white flowers that have a scent reminiscent of orange blossoms. Though their fragrance is delightful, Mock Orange is valued more for its greenery than it is for its flower power. This evergreen shrub is densely packed with glossy, dark green foliage that forms a uniform…
Mediterranean Carpet – Teucrium majoricum ‘Mediterranean Carpet’
This hardy groundcover is fairly new to the market, but it’s gaining fast popularity here in Tucson, where a plant’s ability to withstand chilly winter temperatures is just as important as its drought and heat tolerance. Mediterranean Carpet was selected by Civano Nursery for its superior flower production and performance in the landscape. It begins…
Mexican Bird of Paradise – Caesalpinia mexicana
Native to Northern Mexico, this tough evergreen has been adopted into southwestern landscapes as a large background shrub or small patio tree with an exceptionally long flowering season. From March through October, Mexican Bird of Paradise is covered in flushes of lemon-yellow spikes of fragrant flowers that are a favorite source of nectar for hummingbirds…
Mexican Bush Sage – Salvia leucantha
Height: 3 – 4 feet Width: 3 – 4 feet Bloom color: Purple/White Flowering season: Late Spring, Summer, Fall USDA minimum zone: 8 Cold hardiness: 17° F