Common name:Kangaroo Paw 'Yellow'
Botanical name:Anigozanthos 'Yellow'
This herbaceous perennial can reach 4'-6' tall and 2'-3' wide. Kangaroo Paw has strap-like leaves and fuzzy tubular-shaped, yellow flowers that bloom in spring and fade as summer progresses. They can be used for cut or dried flowers. The flowers have nectar which attract hummingbirds. Kangaroo Paw does well in full sun and looks great in borders, mass plantings, and in pots. It can do well in drought tolerant conditions. It prefers sandy soil and deep, infrequent watering.
Common name:Krauter Vasuvius Flowering Plum
Botanical name:Prunus cerasifera 'Krauter Vesuvius'
The 'Krauter Vesuvius' is a smaller growing, flowering plum that grows to 18' high by 12' wide. Its leaves are purplish black throughout the growing season, and the flowers have a light pink color.
Common name:Elephant's Food, Elephant Bush
Botanical name:Portulacaria afra
This interesting succulent has an irregular growth habit. Depending on pruning and cold, Elephant's Food can be grown as a groundcover or shrub to 12' tall and wide. Plants work very well in containers, and can be used indoors or outdoors. It is drought tolerant but needs some protection from frost. It does best with some shade in most arid climates; otherwise, it tolerates full sun. This plant is a native of South Africa.
Common name:Parasol Aeonium
Botanical name:Aeonium arboreum
Parasol Aeonium is an upright succulent with rosette leaf clusters. It forms a mound and can be easily propagated by cuttings.
Common name:Sticks on Fire Pencil Tree
Botanical name:Euphorbia tirucalli 'Sticks on Fire'
In frost free areas, Euphorbia can become a 30' tree but in colder areas, it is often knocked back by frost. It can be single or multiple trunked. It has green cylindrical branches that are about the diameter of a pencil. Leaves are not usually present. Some people are allergic to the sap. It is tolerant of salt, full sun, part shade and quite drought resistant. It is a great accent plant for a container. This form has yellow or orange branches if in full sun.
Common name:Red Star Cordyline
Botanical name:Cordyline 'Red Star'
The 'Red Star' cultivar is an evergreen shrub that grows 12' to 30' tall and 10' to 15' wide with sword-like leaves with a reddish color. It likes full sun, and is very tolerant of heat and drought. It will live in any type of soil that is well drained. Cut back to develop multiple trunks.
Common name:Shrub Rose
Botanical name:Rosa Shrub varieties
The dark green, heavily veined leaves of this bushy shrub are strong support for the pure white or pink, nearly double flowers it produces. This is a very tolerant, heavily scented plant with an impressive fall color. Also, large hips appear intermittently with this plant.
Common name:Kangaroo Paws, Red
Botanical name:Anigozanthos hybrids
This tender perennial is a clump-forming evergreen that produces fuzzy, yellow green flowers that bloom in spring and last for over 2 months. Many sizes and varieties are available including yellow and pink flowers.
Common name:Kleinia
Botanical name:Senecio mandraliscae
This succulent perennial will grow to about 1.5' tall and 2' wide. It has curved, bluish gray leaves that are about 3.5" long and very slender.
Common name:Indian Hawthorne
Botanical name:Rhaphiolepis indica
This small shrub will grow 2' tall and 4' wide. It has small, dark green leaves that get a red tint in the winter and deep pink flowers that bloom fall through spring.
Common name:Blue Glow Agave
Botanical name:Agave 'Blue Glow'
This beautiful succulent slowly reaches 1'-2' tall and 2'-3' wide. Leaves are thick, blue green, 18" long, 2.5" wide, with red and yellow margins. Tip of the leaf of leaf has red spine. This is a great plant when backlit. It tolerates full sun although it needs shade in low desert areas. It needs well draining soil. Sap from plant irritates some people's skin. It is drought tolerant once it's established.
Maintenance Tips
Agave ‘Blue Glow’ is a hybridized succulent that has a rosette growth pattern. It has rigid leaves that contain fine-toothed margins, pointy tips, and an amazing red edge that will glow yellow when backlit. It grows about 1-2’ tall and 2-3’ wide. The rosette growth pattern means the new leaves start at the center and the older leaves occur at the bottom edges of the plant. For maintenance, this may only need older leaves to be removed if they are damaged. This is a slow-growing plant, which makes this a low-maintenance plant. Occasionally, it will send offsets from the base of the plant, which can be removed to give the plant a cleaner look. After about ten years, the rosette will send out a tall flower stalk known as a branched inflorescence. Once it has finished blooming, the main plant will die and any offsets that are present can be used to replace itCommon name:Jade Plant
Botanical name:Crassula ovata
Crassula ovata is an evergreen shrub that grows to 2' to10' tall and 3' to 6' wide with light green leaves. It like full sun, low watering, and will live in any type of well drained soil.
Designer: N/A
Photographer: GardenSoft
Incorporate compost 6" into your soil to retain water, reduce compaction, feed earthworms, and provide valuable nutrients to your plants.
Adjust sprinklers to avoid watering sidewalks and driveways.
Attract, or buy beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings to control pest outbreaks in your garden.