The beautiful chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus) produces lovely clusters of flowers along with greenish-blue-gray, compound leaflets that are fragrant when handled. However, during the late fall, winter, and very early spring, this tree might actually lose its leaves. In fact, the chaste tree is deciduous. The Chaste tree is deciduous What does deciduous mean? When […]
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A few years ago, I bought a 2-foot high Cereus Peruvianus Monstrose cactus. The local garden nursery had it labeled as Cereus “monster cactus” “Montrosa”. No matter the spelling, the Monstrose cactus has a unique, contorted look, and can grow to monstrous proportions. Here are our Cereus Peruvianus Monstrose cactus care suggestions, and the Monstrose
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Years ago, when I bought a house in Las Cruces, New Mexico, I was lucky to have a few Texas Purple Sages. Two of them were framing the front entrance of my adobe home. During the next monsoon season, those bushes illuminated the front of my house with iridescent purple blooms. They looked wonderful. And
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I first grew a Desert Senna (Senna nemophila) shrub when I had lived in southern New Mexico. There, it survived cold and hot temperatures, along with drought conditions. Through all the climatic extremes, the Desert Senna rewarded me with bright yellow flowers that covered the shrub throughout the year. Here is our Desert Senna shrub
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The Baja fairy duster (Calliandra californica) is a drought-tolerant plant that adds a desert-like ambience to any arid landscape. It’s red flowers give a jewel-like dusting of red glitter that attracts hummingbirds and other pollinators. Read all about the Baja fairy duster plant care guidelines, and see if this hardy plant will work in your
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For this transplanted southwestern gardener, it was love at first sight when I first saw a toothpick cactus (Stetsonia coryne). I bought one and planted it in a sunny location. Since then, it has been growing slowly but steadily. Here are the toothpick cactus description and care guidelines. Toothpick cactus description and care TOOTHPICK CACTUS
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I bought my dwarf Agave potatorum ‘kichiokan marginata’, also known as the dwarf variegated butterfly agave, from one of the big-box DIY stores. This dwarf agave looked so charming in its little container. It had variegated yellow-green leaves along with its blood-red sharp spines—I could not resist buying it. But, would this plant be an
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If you love cacti, then you’ll love the Mexican fence post (Pachycereus marginatus) cactus. Its descriptive name conjures up images of the desert, fenced-in cattle fields, and the beautiful country of Mexico. But, what exactly is the Mexican fence post cactus? Here’s the Mexican fence post cactus description! Mexican fence post cactus description It’s a
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Since moving to the southwestern United States more than 20 years ago, I have grown lots of Trichocereus hybrids (also sold as torch cacti) in my landscapes. Depending on the hybrid variety, Trichocereus cacti can produce magnificent flowers that range in colors from white, to vibrant shades of yellow, florescent pink, shocking red hues, orange,
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When I lived in New Mexico, my house was surrounded by naturally growing creosote bushes. Today, I live near Phoenix, Arizona, and I still have one creosote bush which I planted at the side of my house. This unique, iconic-looking bush adds a desert ambience to any arid landscape! But, what is the creosote bush?
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