Common name:Mohave Yucca
Botanical name:Yucca schidigera
Trunk-forming yucca grows to 20' tall. Can sometimes form small clumps with branched trunks. Probably one of the most drought tolerant of yuccas, requiring only intermittent watering even in most arid climates. Dense clusters of purple-white flowers appear in spring followed by fleshy green fruit. Accepts full sun. Needs good drainage. Tough gray green leaves with curling fibers on edges and a sharp point at the end. Birds love seeds. Native to the Mojave Sonoran deserts.
Common name:Brittlebush
Botanical name:Encelia farinosa
Silvery gray mounding shrub grows to 3' x 4'. Yellow daisylike flowers appear winter to spring. Short lived individual plants but will reseed easily. Good for naturalistic landscapes. Rapid growth following rain. Overgrown and fragile if overwatered. Seeds attract birds. Native to Sonoran & Mojave deserts.
Common name:Creosote Bush
Botanical name:Larrea tridentata
Open, angular evergreen shrub grows to 6'x 6'. Dark green, foliage is fragrant after a rain. One of the most abundant plants in the southwest desert. Extremely drought tolerant. Good informal screen. Native to North American deserts.
Designer:
Photographer: GardenSoft
Maintain a two to four inch layer of mulch on the soil surface to reduce weeds, infiltrate rain water, and reduce compaction.
Use multiple cycles of irrigation on watering days. Most sprinklers deliver water faster than soils can absorb it.
By breaking up the watering time into smaller segments, runoff can be greatly reduced.
Attract, or buy beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings to control pest outbreaks in your garden.
