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:Arizona Rosewood
Botanical name:Vauquelinia californica
Large evergreen shrub or small tree grows slowly to 10' x 8'. Single or multi-trunked. Great as a screen hedge or small shade tree. Clusters of small white flowers in early summer. Accepts full sun to partial shade. Native alternative to oleander. Native to Sonoran Desert.
Designer: Carol Stuttard, Homeowner
Photographer: GardenSoft
Incorporate compost 6" into your soil to retain water, reduce compaction, feed earthworms, and provide valuable nutrients to your plants.
Apply a 2" layer of mulch around plants to reduce moisture loss.
Choose organic mulches, such as shredded bark, compost, or aged sawdust.
Inorganic mulches such as gravel are also acceptable.
Drip and other smart irrigation delivers water directly to roots, allowing no excess water for weeds.