The soaptree yucca (Yucca elata) is another evocative icon of the southwestern United States. Just like the iconic saguaro cactus, the soaptree yucca conjures up images of determination and survival in the most difficult, unforgiving conditions. But does the soaptree yucca belong in your landscape? Let’s discuss the soaptree yucca pros and cons. But first, […]
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The Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora ) was one of the first plants that caught my eye when I moved to the southwestern United States. The almost fluorescent pinkish-red flowers and the long stalks made me look twice. And I noticed that the hummingbirds loved them, too. As an arid gardener, you should consider adding the
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The Mediterranean fan palm (Chamaerops humilus), sometimes called the European fan palm, is probably one of the easiest and prettiest palm trees I have ever grown. However, it grows excruciatingly slow. Because of those conflicting attributes, I will discuss the Mediterranean fan palm pros and cons. Mediterranean fan palm pros and cons Because I am
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The Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia ) is a hardy perennial. In 1995, it was named the Plant of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association. I love the Russian sage because it has aromatic leaves with long stems of small but abundant flowers. Here’s what I’ve learned about how to grow Russian sage. How to
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The chaste tree, or the vitex tree (Vitex agnus castus), produces clusters of small flowers in the spring and the fall (depending on your hardiness zone). After the flowers wilt, it produces bountiful seeds that feed the wildlife. But, to stimulate more growth, you should cut the clusters of seeds off. It’s easy! Here’s how
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The chaste tree, which I’ve also heard called the vitex tree (Vitex agnus castus), wins the top prize for the easiest-to-grow plant in my xeriscape. It produces long panicles (branching clusters of flowers) that are covered with beautiful blue flowers in the spring and fall. Read about the pros and cons of the chaste tree
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Fishhook barrel cactus has edible fruit Recently, my fishhook barrel cactus (Ferocactus latispinus) produced flowers, and from there, went on to bear fruit. And, besides having the beautiful fishhook spines and the pretty flowers to look at, this fishhook barrel cactus has edible fruit! And it tastes good, too! What is the fishhook barrel cactus?
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I love cactus flowers. Out of all the plants in the world, they produce some of the most uniquely beautiful flowers. Recently, I dissected a large cactus flower to see what was inside. As a result, I think I became an amateur-expert in cactus flower anatomy. The information I discovered about cactus flower anatomy and
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When I first moved to the southwestern United States, I remember how the first ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) I planted looked dead soon after it was in the ground! I was so disappointed! Months later, my ocotillo looked like a clump of brown, spiny sticks sticks with no leaves and no flowers. Despite those obvious missing
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