Common name:Fox Tail Agave, Velvet Agave
Botanical name:Agave attenuata

This Agave has a dramatic tropical form. Even light frost can damage its succulent leaves. It is great for containers. In the low desert, partial sun will be best. If it becomes top heavy, simply cut and stick in the ground to root. It is not a fast grower and has light green foliage. It will also die after flowering but pups around the mother will survive. Distinctive with its large rosette of leaves perched on a long curving trunk, it is a native from Mexico.

Common name:Australian Rosemary, Coast Rosemary
Botanical name:Westringia fruticosa

The Australian Rosemary is an evergreen shrub that grows 4'-6' tall. It has soft, gray green leaves and white flowers throughout the year and prefers sun and little to average amounts of water. This shrub is also drought tolerant.

Maintenance Tips

Westringia fruticosa is a fine-textured, evergreen shrub that grows 4-6' tall and 6-10' wide. Its common name is Coast Rosemary because the foliage resembles Rosemary. This plant will look and perform its best if it is given the space to reach its full mature size. The flowers bloom along the branches throughout the year in warmer climates so there is no need for deadheading. This shrub has a free-form growth habit so the thinning method is usually the best way to prune. Making pruning cuts towards the center will allow sunlight into the interior and will allow the plant to keep its free-form shape. If this shrub is being used as a formal hedge, it can be sheered to manage its shape and size without losing the blooming potential. It is a very tough plant, rarely suffering from pests or disease, and it can tolerate wind and sea spray.

Common name:New Zealand Flax
Botanical name:Phormium tenax

New Zealand Flax is a large, bold plant with stiffly vertical, sword-like, green leaves that arise from its base. It should be grown under full sun for best color. Varieties will offer different growth habits and leaf color.

Maintenance Tips

Phormium tenax is a perennial that grows as a clump with strap-like leaves. This is a very popular plant and has many different hybrids that are selected for their different foliage colors, sizes, and textures. When growing this species, there is a lot of genetic variety, so the size of the mature plant can range from 2' up to 8'. To keep the maintenance as low as possible, plant in a location that is full sun, and well-drained and give it the space it needs to reach maturity. These plants are often the victim of poor pruning habits, with gardeners cutting the leaves off in the middle or shearing them because they are too large for the space they have been given. If this is the case, they should be transplanted to a location where they can reach their full size, or other plants around them should be moved out of their way.

Common name:Pink Powder Puff
Botanical name:Calliandra haematocephala

This evergreen shrub and semi-vine will grow 16'-30' and produces ornamental, red flowers that bloom in spring, fall, and winter. It is a beautiful espalier plant.

Common name:Queen Palm
Botanical name:Syagrus romanzoffianum

This palm has a very straight trunk to about 50' in height. It has arching, feathery, bright green, glossy leaves that can be 10'-15' long. It is fragile in heavy winds and a fast grower. It will become damaged in temperature below 24 degrees F.