May Arizona Gardening Guide

It's spring in the Arizona low desert. The temps are near 100 if not over already. Your Bermuda grass should be in and green and the winter Rye should be gone. You need to check your watering schedule. Bermuda grass does better if it is watered deeply 8-10 inches. You can check this by putting a screwdriver or something long in the grass and it should go in 8-10" easily after you water. If it doesn't then you need to increase your watering time. If you are experiencing run-off from too much water then change your timer to water several times throughout the day to get the depth without loosing the water. If you do this, you should be able to water every 2, maybe 3 days. Check your lawn and use good judgment. If it is turning brown, increase your water, if your lawn is sopping wet and getting mushrooms, cut back your water or water less days.

Your plants, especially flowers, will benefit from some organic mulch. You can add about a 3" layer to the soil around the plants to maintain moisture, prevent weeds, and lower your soil temperature. As the mulch decomposes during the summer, it will at much needed nutrients to the soil.
Contact a licensed Landscape Contractor for your landscape maintenance

Oakleaf Hydrangea - quercifolia

The Oakleaf Hydrangeas will grow best in Arizona's Hot Desert. This picture is called the "Snow Queen". It will grow in sun or shade, but the blooms last longer if they get a little afternoon shade in hot climates. It does need sun and shade. In Arizona, it should be planted in a place that gets a little morning sun and protected from the heat if possible. Make sure it gets plenty of water but do not let it sit in water. It must have well drained soil. The leaves on the Oakleaf hydrangeas will "color up" best in the fall if they receive some sun. Do not plant it under a tree because the tree will take all of the nutrients and moisture from the Hydrangea. Other forms of Hydrangeas will not do as well as the Oakleaf in the hot and dry Arizona desert. This plant will do great in a large pot that can be moved with the season.
Sun Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade - In the hot Arizona desert it should be planted in more shade.

Danger: Parts of plant are poisonous if ingested

Bloom Color: White/Near White

Bloom Time: Mid Summer, Late Summer/Early Fall

Foliage: Grown for foliage, Deciduous, Bronze-Green

Other details: Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater

Seed Collecting: Allow seedheads to dry on plants; remove and collect seeds

Hopseed Bush

The Hopseed is found throughout Arizona. It is a slow-growing evergreen shrub that can grow 12 - 15 ft. tall with an equal width. It blooms greenish yellow flowers in spring and fall. The Green Hopseed Bush is an ideal xeriscape plant in Phoenix. It can be grown as an informal hedge or a patio tree.

Form: shrub or tree
Seasonality: evergreen
Size: 12-15ft with equal spread
Leaves: dark green narrow linear leaf, alternate; top glossy underside lighter
Flowers: small clusters of greenish-white flower; bloom in early spring
Fruit: 3-sided pod containing 3 seeds; green aging to tan; flat papery wings
Stems/Trunks: exposed trunk with gnarled character when pruned up
Range/Origin: Arizona and Mexico and elsewhere; in washes
Hardiness: to mid teens
Exposure: full sun, okay in part shade
Water: low, drought tolerant; supplemental water improves ornamental quality
Soil: tolerant, good drainage
Propagation: seed
Maintenance: minimal; pruning to tree shape if desired
Other Features: Oleander alternative. Decorative papery fruits attract birds.
Litter: low
Thorns: none

Also try D. viscosa v. purpurea, which has bronze-purple leaves.

Yellow Lady Banks Rose Vine

The Yellow Lady Banks is an extremely vigorous, once-blooming yellow climber that will happily cover any nearby tree or structure. Its distinctive clusters of yellow flowers in the spring make it easy to identify. It is thornless and has little fragrance.

Lady Banks Yellow' is one of the great classic roses. It is the double yellow form of Lady Banks White. It is slightly more hardy than the White Lady Banks rose, but has little fragrance. This rose is generally much too large for a small garden, but it will provide spectacular spring displays when allowed to cover an outlying tree, wall or building. The Yellow Lady Banks rose is very long-lived. The Yellow Lady Banks rose is a vigorous climber that will happily climb to the top of any nearby tree, fence or arbor. Although the plant is thornless, the long graceful arching canes reach and grow into any adjacent means of support. The abundant evergreen foliage is small, lanceolate, and dark green in color. The leaves are very narrow in relation to their length, and always sharp pointed, which seems to be the standard for china rose heritage. It blooms once in late spring and lasts for about 4 weeks.

In order to thrive, this rose needs a sheltered sunny location, but it will grow satisfactorily under a wide variety of conditions. It is tolerant of poor soils and is unpalatable to deer. The ground around the base should be kept free of competing vegetation by mulching. The blooms occur on the second and third year wood, so dead wood and older growth should be pruned out as required.

Height: 15 ' to 20 ' Width: 8 ' to 12 '

Red Bird of Paradise

Botanical Name: Caesalpinia pulcherrima
Common Name: Red Bird of Paradise

This sub-tropical shrub is used extensively in low-elevation zones for its extravagant, showy flowers and its incredible heat tolerance. Red Bird of Paradise is a rounded, open shrub with light green, feathery, compound leaves. The inch-wide flowers have slightly ruffled petals that are a deep orange color with varying amounts of yellow. Some forms of Caesalpinia pulcherrima have pure yellow flowers. Although this shrub loses most of its leaves in the winter, it recovers quickly.

Plant red bird of paradise shrub in full sunlight after all danger of frost is past. This shrub tolerates any well-drained soil including rocky, native soils. It does not do well in heavy clay soils. Apply slow-release or organic fertilizer annually in spring. Water established red bird of paradise shrubs every four to seven days in the summer. Water once a month in the winter, or rely on natural rainfall.

Native to: Mexico,West Indies
Hardiness: 30°F
Sun: full sun
Water: moderate
Growth Rate: fast
Mature Form: rounded, open
Evergreen or Deciduous? deciduous
Foliage Color: dark green
Foliage Texture: fine
Mature Size: 6' height X 6' width
Flower Color: Orange and yellow
Flower Season: late spring to fall
Wildlife: birds, hummingbirds, butterflies
Other Features: Showy summer color. Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.
Litter: low
Thorns: very small prickly stems

Mexican Bird of Paradise

Botanical Name: Caesalpinia mexicana
Common Name: Mexican Bird of Paradise
Mexican Bird of Paradise is native to Northern Mexico. Its lush, ferny compound leaves provide a dark green backdrop for the bright yellow flower spikes that appear on the branch tips during the warm season. These flowers are followed by woody pods, which "explode" as they mature, adding a little bit of natural music the outdoor environment. This plant grows fairly rapidly 10-15 feet tall and spreads to 15 feet wide. The Mexican bird of paradise can be grown as a small tree or pruned to keep it a shrub.

Plant Mexican bird of paradise in the fall in full sunlight exposures for best establishment. This large shrub is evergreen in mild climates, but where frost occurs, it will shed foliage. Although extremely tolerant of sun and reflected heat, it requires good drainage to thrive. Established Mexican bird of paradise plants require little water. Mature plants may reach a height of 15 feet tall. Regular pruning will help control size.

Native to: Mexico
Hardiness: 15°F
Sun: full sun
Water: moderate
Growth Rate: moderate-fast
Mature Form: upright, open
Evergreen or Deciduous? evergreen
Foliage Color: dark green
Foliage Texture: fine
Mature Size: 10' height X 8' width
Flower Color: Yellow spikes
Flower Season: spring to fall

Wildlife: birds, hummingbirds
Other Features: Can be grown as a small tree. Attracts hummingbirds.

Litter: moderate
Thorns: none
Allergenic: no
Native to: Mexico
Other Features: Can be grown as a small tree. Attracts hummingbirds.

Cascalote Tree - Arizona Xericsape Tree

Cascalote
Caesalpinia cacalaco, Synonym: Russellodendron cacalaco, Coulteria mexicana, Poinciana horrida
Family: Fabaceae. Great Xeriscape plant.

This tree produces large spikes of light yellow flowers in most of winter and attractive copper-colored pods. It is native to Mexico and does very well in the Arizona desert. The Cascalote will make a nice patio tree. It is slow growing and only reaches at most 20 feet tall. It can be pruned to shape and thin. It will suffer some frost bite if temperatures go below 20 degrees. This tree does best in full sun with well drained soil. Looks very much like the Mexican Bird of Paradise but larger.

USDA: 9-10
Frost Tolerance: Hardy to 20°F (-7°C)
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Origin: Southern Mexico
Growth Habits: Evergreen tree, growing slowly to 20 feet tall, 20 feet wide (6 x 6 m)
Watering Needs: Little to moderate water
Propagation: Seeds
Thorns: Has thorns but there are thornless types