A close look at the silvery gray foliage of Feathery Senna, sometimes called Feathery Cassia, reveals the source of this plant’s common name. The leaves are dainty and delicate, resembling a feather in structure and moving effortlessly with the breeze. The structure of the shrub itself also tends to be light and airy, developing a…
The heat and sun-loving Feather Bush is an Arizona native with a delicate appearance that grows into a large, graceful shrub or a small tree with a picturesque silhouette. In Tucson, winter temperatures can drop below 20 F, nipping the exterior branches of unprotected specimens to naturally maintain a lush, multi-branching shrub. Feather Bush casts…
Firethorn is one of the most versatile plants found thriving in Southwestern gardens. This hardy and durable evergreen can be grown as a shrub, or espaliered against walls and fences like a vine. Firethorn is also useful as a hedge, windbreak, or barrier, and older specimens with thick, woody growth can even be shaped into…
Height: 3 – 5 feet Width: 3 – 5 feet Bloom color: Orange Flowering season: Spring, Summer, Fall USDA minimum zone: 7 Cold hardiness: 10° F
Gardenia is notorious for the intense perfume emitted by its large, creamy-white, rose-like flowers from spring to fall. ‘Veitchii’ is the oldest variety of Gardenia grown today, and it is still recognized as the most prolific bloomer, as well as the best variety for Tucson’s harsh desert climate. Gardenia’s dense, compact, evergreen foliage is dark…
Height: 5 – 6 feet Width: 4 – 5 feet Bloom color: Pink Flowering season: Spring, Summer, Fall USDA minimum zone: 8 Cold hardiness: 20° F
Elephant’s Food is a versatile succulent that has been known by many names around the world throughout its long reign of popularity. Originally from Africa, it is extremely drought, heat, and sun tolerant, while also accepting more moisture than our desert succulents. This plant’s segmented stems are bright red to reddish-brown; beautifully contrasting its rounded,…
Height: 8 – 24 inches Width: 8 – 24 inches Bloom color: Purple Flowering season: Summer, Fall USDA minimum zone: 5 Cold hardiness: -10° F
Height: 3 – 5 feet Width: 3 – 5 feet Bloom color: Yellow Flowering season: Spring, Summer, Fall USDA minimum zone: 9 Cold hardiness: 20° F