Common name:Chilean Mesquite
Botanical name:Prosopis chilensis
Semievergreen tree can rapidly grow to 30' x 30'. Thorns are variable. Can be multitrunked. Dark coarse textured bark. Accepts reflected sun. Upright grower with wide crown. Avoid overwatering to control windstorm uprooting. Yellow-green flowers in spring.
Common name:Spineless Yucca
Botanical name:Yucca recurvifolia
This evergreen succulent is part of the Agave family and reaches 10' tall. It has distinctive blue-grey leaves that bend sharply downward. It blooms with white flowers on 3'-5' tall spikes in late spring and early summer. Leaf tips have spines but they bend and do not cause injury.
Designer: Margaret Joplin
Photographer: Margaret Joplin
Physical weed control, including mulching, or hand removal protects the watershed from harmful chemicals.
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.
Remove irrigation water and fertilizer from areas where you don't want weeds to grow.