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Arizona Living Landscape & Design

Plants for winter color

Arizona Desert Plants· Desert Plant Guide

Eremophila Maculata Valentine or Emu Bush

Eremophila_Valentine-emuThe Valentine bush is an evergreen shrub with lush, green foliage. It will gro to 4′ high by 5′ wide and produces red tubular flowers from winter to early spring. The leaves are tinged red in winter. This is an excellent choice for gardens needing some winter color. It has showy red-rose blooms that cover the foliage, is hardy to 15 degrees, and is extremely drought tolerant and does well in full sun.
Plant in well drained soil and allow to dry out between waterings. Shear after blooming, usually in March to encourage bushiness. Plant in a space that needs winter color. It will be a striking contrast to other desert plants.

Cascalote

cascaloteThe Cascalote tree produces large spikes of light yellow flowers in most of winter and attractive copper-colored pods. It is native to Mexico and does very well in the Arizona desert. The Cascalote will make a nice patio tree. It is slow growing and only reaches at most 20 feet tall. It can be pruned to shape and thin. It will suffer some frost bite if temperatures go below 20 degrees. This tree does best in full sun with well drained soil. Looks very much like the Mexican Bird of Paradise but larger.

 

 

Little John Bottle Brush

Little-John-Bottle-BrushLittle John Bottle Brush is a medium growing evergreen mounding shrub. The Little John bottle Brush loves full sun and is drought tolerant. It is a really great accent to any landscape and it is practically maintenance free.

Little John Bottle Brush has bright red bottle brush like flowers mostly in the spring but it can flower on and off throughout the year. The flowers are very attractive to hummingbirds. It grows slowly to 3 feet high and 5 feet wide, and is hardy to 25 degrees F.

Morning Glory Bush

Morning_Glory_Bush
Morning Glory is a fast growing evergreen shrub. The Morning Glory bush can take full sun and is drought resistant. Morning Glory will die quickly if it is over watered. Be careful to let it dry betwen waterings. Morning Glory bush has gray foliage that is soft and shimmery silver and white cup shaped flowers that cover the shrub from spring to fall. It grows up to 2 feet high and 3 feet wide, and is hardy to 20 degrees F.

Penstemon

 

penstemon
Penstemon is a large family of medium growing clumping perennials. These shrubs love full sun and do well in the desert because they are drought tolerant. Penstemon have clumps of leaves from deep green to varieties that have grey leaves. They have flower stems that are 1 to 2 feet higher then the plant and come in different shades of purple, pink, and red. These plants will spread 2 feet wide with flower stems that reach up to 4 feet high. They bloom mid winter through spring and are very hardy in our colder winters.