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
Maintain a two to four inch layer of mulch on the soil surface to reduce weeds, infiltrate rain water, and reduce compaction.
Water-wise plants can be beautiful as well as practical.
Ask for low water use plants at your local nursery.
Develop healthy soil for plants that are vigorous and naturally pest-resistant.