To make a realistic attempt at desert gardening one needs to know the desert plants to use. Dry gardens take drought tolerant plants and ones designed to live in hot dry arid places. Desert gardening can be a beautiful way to display interesting plants among rocks and stones. Desert plants can be flowering and they can have interesting foliage, don’t discount them easily.
Greasewood
Greasewood, Sacrobatus vermiculatus, is from the Chenopodiaceae family of plants. It is also known as chicowood or black greasewood. There are many branches on this shrub and it is thorny with succulent leaves. It will get 3 to 7 feet high. Leaves are 1 inch long and flowers are greenish for the female blooms and rose for the male blooms. It will have flowers in the spring and summer seasons. Grow in saline soil or alkaline soil.
Blue Phacelia
Blue phacelia, Phacelia distans, is also known as scorpionweed and wild heliotrope. It has fern-like leaves that are green and bell-like blue flowers. Flowers will bloom from February to June. The plant will get 1 to 3 feet tall and will resemble the tail of a scorpion with the shape.
Chuparosa
Chuparosa, Justica californica, is from the Acanthaceae family of plants. It has grayish green foliage that is oval and ½ to 1 inch long. Flowers come throughout the year and are tubular and red. The flowers are in terminal clusters. The entire plant gets 5 feet tall. There is nectar in this plant that makes it popular for birds and the seeds are eaten by quail.
Desert Paintbrush
Desert paintbrush, Castilleja chromosa, is from the Schrophulariaceae family of plants. It has 1 to 2 inch long leaves and reddish orange flowers from April to August. The entire plant can get 4 to 16 inches tall with erect stems.
Mohave Yucca
Mohave yucca, Yucca schidigera, is an evergreen with leaves 2 to 4 inches long and bell-like flowers in purplish white 1 to 2 inches long. Flowers bloom August and September and fruits are in late summer with black berries. The plant will get up to 16 feet tall. It depends on the Pronuba moth to pollinate.
Hedgehog
Hedgehog, Echinocereus triglochidiatus, is from the Cactaceae family of plants. It is a barrel cactus with 1 foot long cylindrical green stems. Red flowers are cupshaped and 1 to 2 inches long, blooming April to June. It is pollinated by hummingbirds. These flowers will be open at night which is unlike many other cactus plants.
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Tina Samuels - Tina Samuels specializes in health, animal, and gardening articles. She authored "A Georgia Native Plant Guide".
