Common name:Brittlebush, Desert Encelia
Botanical name:Encelia farinosa
This deciduous mounding shrub typically has gray leaves that can reach 3' tall and wide. However, the leaves will turn white in drought conditions. Bright yellow 1" wide daisies appear in spring and summer. There is rapid growth following rain but this shrub is short-lived. Individual plants will reseed to repopulate. It does well in hot areas but cannot tolerate clay soils due to root rot. It will become overgrown and fragile if overwatered. It will suffer frost damage at 25 degrees F.
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
Practice grass-cycling by leaving short grass clippings on lawns after mowing, so that nutrients and organic matter are returned to the soil.
Apply a layer of mulch around plants to reduce moisture loss.
Choose organic mulches, such as shredded bark, compost or aged sawdust.
Remove irrigation water and fertilizer from areas where you don't want weeds to grow.
