Desert Marigold

Baileya multiradiata

Two Septembers ago, I broadcast a few handfuls of wildflower seed mix in several areas of my garden, hoping for some spring color. Although the mix contained seven varieties of wildflowers, the only wildflowers that germinated that first spring were Desert Bluebells, California Poppies, and Baileya multiradiata, or Desert Marigold. The first two wildflowers are short-lived. They flower in late February and are gone by April. On the other hand, the B. multiradiata comes up late, starts blooming in March, and keeps right on until November.

Found throughout the desert southwest, the B. multiradiata is nondescript, with gray-green wooly leaves. If it weren’t for the flower, it wouldn’t even be noticeable. The flower stalks are quite long, with only one flower per stalk. The flowers are always a pure bright yellow that is difficult to photograph. I’ve probably taken 50 photos of these wildflowers, and just can’t pick up much detail because of the solid color.

This plant is a killer, but it’s a selective killer. A compound (probably hymenoxin) in the plant is toxic to sheep and rabbits, but not cattle and horses. Animals usually know to stay away from toxic plants, but in overgrazed areas or in times of drought, they get hungry enough to chew on what's available. There are some reports of large numbers of sheep lost to this plant.

However, other compounds in this plant are now being tested at Arizona State University for possible use as anticancer agents. So, redemption may come for this common killer wildflower.

Minor Confusion, Major Value

Catharanthus roseus

This is NOT Vinca minor as many believe, but Catharanthus roseus. Both are members of the Apocynaceae family, but they are from different genera. Once classified as Vinca roseus and then changed to Catharanthus, C. roseus is found in nurseries labeled as Vinca or Periwinkle, further confusing those who are looking for V. minor. Moreover, to muddy the waters even more, the C. roseus’ common name is Madagascar Periwinkle. If someone from USDA Zones 9b-11 is looking for a drought tolerant, full sun annual, then C. roseus fits the bill. V. minor does not.

When all other annuals (C. roseus is actually a perennial used as an annual) have succumbed to the heat in Phoenix, the C. roseus is the most widely used substitute for summer mass plantings in the desert, replacing the all those spent petunias and impatiens. It is also used in hanging baskets, borders, and groundcover. Many desert plant purists shudder at the idea of having petunias and periwinkles in desert gardens, but sometimes a shot of color does a person good.

I always plant C. roseus in one of my large wok planters and in several patio containers around July 1. In a sea of beige gravel and dusty, exhausted native plants, the containers full of C. roseus stand out like a sore thumb. Their five-petaled bright flowers and shiny green foliage clash terribly with the desert landscaping, and my inharmonious mixture of colors adds to the effect. Bright rose and lilac, carmine red and dark lavender, all in the same planters, jars the senses even more. I don’t care. It’s a form of summer rebellion.

C. roseus doesn’t need a lot of water. The flowers can get a bit crispy on the edges on an intense summer day, but for the most part, they do best in full sun and just keep on blooming profusely. C. roseus cultivars provide a myriad of colors from which to choose, and they are available from the most upscale nursery all the way to Wal-Mart’s garden center.

This plant, used for centuries in folk medicine to treat various ailments, has proven to have anticancer properties, and compounds in the plant are currently used to make several prescription cancer drugs. Many more pharmaceutical studies for other medicinal uses are taking place. I'm glad to hear that this plant's value goes far beyond that of supporting my summer rebellion.

Blue Monstrosity

Cereus 'Ming Thing'

All I know for sure about these Montrose cacti is that they are of the Cereus genus. The species may be foresii, but some sources claim ‘Ming Thing’ is C. peruvianus. There are two variations of Cereus 'Ming Thing'. One has a greenish hue with light colored spines, the other, as these two show, has a definite blue hue with many heads and sparse dark spines.

I understand the C. ‘Ming Thing’ is so called because its sculptural shape and many indentations supposedly resemble the jade carvings from the Ming period of Chinese art. I think the thing resembles little fists raised in protest, or perhaps baby fingers trying to grab hold of something small.

Abnormal growth points cause the deformed shapes of Montrose plants. In a normal Cereus, the cactus grows from one point at the end of the stem. In Montrose plants, growth occurs from various areas, causing a strange, contorted growth pattern. No one knows what causes this mutation. There are many theories, but none proved, and the effect can't be produced by human intervention. The condition is just a freak of nature.

Many collectors specialize in cacti with Cristation and Monstrosity. I have a few of each, but I am not partial to them. I just think every collection should have a specimen or two.

Purple Heart, Wandering Jew, Who Knew?

I first saw Purple Heart (Tradescantia pallida) during a spring garden tour a couple of years ago. Planted at the base of the lime green trunks of several Palo Brea trees, the plants were stunning. The fact I hadn’t seen Purple Heart in a garden before should have provided a hint to me—usually if something grows well here, you will find it in every garden. Even though I only saw it at that one garden, I was determined to get some. I figured it would look great with my yellow Lantana or under the Palo Verde trees.

Then, a couple of weeks later, I saw a huge urn in front of a restaurant in full bloom with Purple Heart, its lush stems spilling over the sides to the sidewalk. That was it. I immediately drove to a nursery to acquire some. The woman at the nursery said if I wanted Purple Heart, I should come back the next day and she would have some free cuttings from her yard, so I did just that, and left with a huge bagful.

Although familiar with Purple Heart as a houseplant (usually Tradescantia zebrina), I did some research on the garden version and discovered a downside. It is invasive and tough to control once established, so I decided to place the plants in a wok planter. I just stuck the cuttings into the soil, and within a couple of weeks the planter was full of Purple Heart. It looked great—for about one month. Summer came, it got leggy, segments continually dropped off the plants onto the ground, and although the planter was in a shady area, the plants were soon sun-scorched and just ugly. Rather than pull it all up, I cut it back, and it grew back again, but didn’t look any better. In the fall, it started perking up—for about a month. When winter came and the temperatures dipped, the plant looked even worse, and eventually melted from frost. It came back from the dead in early spring. I was thankful I had not planted it in my garden; it was like the biblical Lazarus!

Previously classified as Setcreasea purpurea, Purple Heart is native to Eastern Mexico. It is somewhat drought resistant, and can take some light frost. Also called Wandering Jew and Wash Pot Plant, it will grow just about anywhere, but supposedly does the best in USDA Zones 8b-11. (I dispute that. Our zone 9b is too hot!) Small pink, three-petaled flowers grace it heavily in spring, and it flowers lightly off and on through the summer.

Now I know why that nursery woman gave me the cuttings. She probably would have felt guilty selling them to me. In my opinion, having a plant that looks good only two months out of twelve is just taking up space, so I will take it out of the wok planter and probably try it in a couple of smaller pots that I keep on the patio and see if it looks better longer. If not, I’ve learned a good lesson. However, as a houseplant, Purple Heart is great. I’ve kept a couple of cuttings in a vase on my kitchen table that I acquired almost two decades ago. It always looks good.

Leopard Lilly Takes Off

Ledebouria socialis

My little Ledebouria socialis has suddenly starting looking lush and it’s growing like crazy. I had it in the house for a couple of years, and it just didn’t look good, so I put it on the patio and sort of neglected it. Perhaps this unexpected growth has occurred because this plant is native to South Africa, a summer rainfall region, and our recent monsoon storms have brought higher humidity and rain.

The L. socialis is considered an herbaceous perennial as well as a borderline succulent. It has little aboveground bulbs with papery sheaths that protect the bulbs from drying out. The little bulbs will fatten up after watering, but it should be kept on the dry side, especially in winter. Commonly called Leopard Lilly or Silver Squill, this plant is in the Hyacinthaceae family. Previously classified in the Scilla genus, it's still sold under that name more often than not.

The L. socialis is popular because of its gray-green leaves and leopard-spotted leaf markings. There is a variety called L. socialis violacea that has more mottled leaves that are purple underneath. Both are equally popular and easy to get. Propagated by division, the bulbs are separated from the main plant and new plants started most any time of the year. It flowers in late winter, and the tiny greenish-white flowers grow from a stalk that shoots up from the growing tip.

Since this plant always remains small, it really should remain in a pot to do it justice. The old platitude, “out of sight, out of mind” is certainly true when it comes to tiny plants in large gardens. I’ve learned the hard way about losing track of small plants in my garden, only to discover them later, dead from neglect.

Loads of Barrels

Ferocactus wislizenii

Ferocactus cylindraceusFerocactus wislizenii

I've featured Barrel Cacti previously, but several more bloomed this past week, so I thought I'd show the how the flowers vary within and among species.

For those interested in information on Barrels, see this page or this.

Midnight Special

Cereus peruvianus

Yesterday evening at dusk, I noticed my Cereus peruvianus (Peruvian Apple Cactus) had unexpectedly developed a few buds and one was ready to bloom, a first for this cactus. It started out as a small potted cutting about seven years ago. When establishing my garden at my current residence, I decided the cactus was getting too large for its ever-expanding pots so I put it in the ground. It has now grown to over our feet tall with several stems. (The C. Peruvianus can reach 30 feet tall.) The unusual hard freeze last winter caused some damage to the growing tips of a couple of stems, so the cactus formed arms on those stems, and surprisingly, it was on a couple of these new arms that the buds had developed.

Since I could tell the flower would open that night, I began my hourly treks to the garden to check its progress. At bedtime, I checked once again. It was so close to opening that I decided to wait it out. At midnight, it finally happened. I took this photo within minutes of its complete unfolding. Now I have a record of its first bloom.

One of the reasons for this cactus’ common name is that after it flowers, it forms an “apple” or fruit that is edible. The fruit has been compared in taste to a not-quite-ripe watermelon. The fruit is red, and the inside white with lots of seeds that provide a texture and crunch like that of Kiwi fruit. Unlike the fruit of the Prickly Pear, it has no glochids, making it easy to eat with just a rinse. These fruits, known as pitaya in Central and South America where the cactus is cultivated, are also popular with birds.

When driving around town today I noticed that most all of the C. peruvianus cacti--common here as they are so easily propagated with cuttings--had formed hundreds of buds, seemingly overnight. As the fruit forms and ripens over the next few weeks, I’m sure the birds (and some humans) are going to have quite a feast.

Right Time, Wrong Place

Austrocylindropuntia subulata

This is another common, easy to grow cactus sold to folks all over the world for their indoor collections. The branching Austrocylindropuntia subulata can grow to 13 feet tall. Easily propagated with cuttings, it does extremely well in the low desert even though it is native to high elevations in the Andes. It takes full sun, but it received some frost damage this past winter. New branches quickly developed and it has grown at least a foot this summer.

I planted this A. subulata in my garden from a pot when one of my many Bush Morning Glories died last summer. It needed repotting and I took the easy way out and just put it where the dead plant had been. At the time, I’d forgotten how large the A. subulata could get. If left where it is located, it will eventually interfere with a Palo Verde tree growing nearby.

Sometimes called Opuntia subulata, (AKA Eve’s Needle and Eve’s Pin Cactus) it is one of the 11 species placed in the Austrocylindropuntia genus. All the cacti in this genus have tube shaped stems and leaves. The leaves on my specimen remain for most of the year.

This cactus has never had flowers. When it blooms, the flowers will be large and red. I’ve read that it rarely blooms in cultivation, but if it happens, I’ll be glad it’s located where it is because I can see it from my breakfast area windows. I'll worry about its size later.

Remembering May

Drosanthemum hispidum

As we set another dubious summer milestone of tying the record for the highest number of days over 110° (27 so far) I noticed the last of the Drosanthemum hispidum in my garden was beyond help, so I pulled it up this evening. This groundcover is supposedly able to take full sun in Phoenix, but perhaps 110° is asking too much. The photo shows one plant in all its glory in May. It continued to bloom until mid-June, and then it struggled along before finally drying up completely this week. The others dried up in July.

The Drosanthemum genus contains about 100 species and comes from South Africa. The D. hispidum, called Rosea Ice Plant in this region, is also known as Desert Ice Plant, or Hairy Dewflower. It is used as erosion control on slopes in some regions, but it needs regular water in the summer, so it’s not often seen in that role in the Phoenix area.

The leaves are succulent and have projections that look like tiny glass beads. These glitter in the sun, just like ice crystals. The flowers are usually lavender to purple, but I’ve seen some that are closer to fuchsia in color. The D. hispidum in my garden were all close to four feet in diameter. When in full bloom, they were spectacular, especially in the morning when the slant of the sun caught the shimmer of the leaves.

Almost any garden, if you see it at just the right moment, can be confused with paradise.

~ Henry Mitchell

Another One Bites The Dust

Convolvulus cneorum

Each summer, I lose a few more Convolvulus cneorum (Bush Morning Glory) and I can’t figure out why it’s happening. These mounding shrubs normally do well in USDA Zones 8-10. I know it isn’t the heat because the other Bush Morning Glories in my garden do fine. I’ve read that over watering can cause root rot in the C. cneorum, and since all the plants get the same amount of water, it could possibly be a drainage issue. The plants will look fine, and then they dry up, seemingly overnight. Last summer I lost four, and so far this year, three more. Why this is happening is a mystery. I love the Bush Morning Glory and don’t want to lose more of them.

Also called Silverbush, the C. cneorum should not be confused with another plant, Ipomoea leptophylla, also called Bush Morning Glory. Related to the sweet potato, the I. leptophylla has funnel shaped pink flowers and a bulbous, edible taproot.

In spring, the Bush Morning Glories in my garden are completely covered with yellow-throated white flowers that butterflies love. The silvery gray foliage and the shrub's rounded mound shape complement the bolder, more angular shapes in my garden. I chose to plant numerous Bush Morning Glories because they are so beautiful by moonlight. The foliage almost shimmers, and the plants are easily visible in dim light. The flowers, however, close at dusk and open wide at dawn.

I’m going to start using a moisture meter near each of my Bush Morning Glories and record the results for a period. If I lose another, I’ll be able to see if there’s a correlation to the plant death and amount of moisture in the soil over time. If it’s a drainage issue, then at least I’ll know what to do.

Carissa macrocarpa 'Boxwood Beauty'

Carissa macrocarpa 'Boxwood Beauty'

The ‘Boxwood Beauty’ is one of the several dwarf cultivars of Carrisa macrocarpa (Natal Plum) that does well in the Phoenix heat. The compact cultivar grows to about two feet high, and can eventually reach a spread of five feet. It’s supposed to be thornless, but that’s not true of those in my garden. The thorns are lighter and smaller than one would find on the regular C. macrocarpa. It may take the heat, but it is frost sensitive, so every year I get some frost damage on my plants, but they quickly come back in spring.

This plant is just full of surprises. The little plum shaped fruits are edible when red and ripe. They contain high amounts of Vitamin C and Potassium. One cup of the fruit contains only 97 calories. The fruit makes nice preserves, or it can be eaten right off the shrub. The rest of the plant is poisonous, and some sources say even the seeds within the fruits are poisonous, but many folks claim they eat the ripe fruits right off the shrub and they have lived to tell the tale.

The C. macrocarpa ‘Boxwood Beauty' has a five-petaled, star shaped white flower that is usually quite fragrant, one of the reasons I chose this groundcover for my garden. However, I can’t detect much aroma from my plants. The flower scent, described as reminiscent of jasmine or orange blossoms, (that’s quite a range of dissimilar odors) can be quite heavy in some varieties.

The dwarf cultivars are popular with Bonsai enthusiasts because of the tightly positioned, scalloped leaves and odd, twisty growth habit of the stems. The year-round flower production is a bonus.

After the hard freeze this past winter I pruned my dead looking plants to ground. I left the stubs in place so that I would know where my irrigation emitters were for new and different plantings in spring. I really thought the Natal Plums were gone, and didn’t plan to replace them. Surprisingly, just a few weeks later they had formed new leaves and began growing vigorously. They are now about the size they were before the freeze.

From Cactus Garden To Rock Garden

Mammillaria boolii

This tiny cactus started out as part of a purchased cactus garden. When the cacti started growing bigger than the pot allowed, I had to disassemble the whole arrangement. This is not easy. These arrangements always come with a top dressing of gravel sprayed with some type of gluey polymer to keep the gravel in place, and that means the whole arrangement comes out of the pot at once, and sometimes, that even the cacti are stuck together.

I’ve found that purchasing these arrangements is an economical way to attain small cacti specimens, and although the cactus in the photo wasn’t something I was particularly interested in, it was part of the bargain. As I potted up the seven cacti, I found I didn’t have a suitable pot for this one, so I decided to plant it on the north side of a boulder in my garden, and promptly forgot about it.

After our recent rains, I came across this cactus just as it had opened one flower, and I was quite pleased with the color. I was surprised that, although still very small, it had clumped and had three new stems. I’ve since identified it as a Mammillaria boolii, which usually blooms in April. This one is not following the normal bloom period, if indeed it is an M. boolii. This cactus is a native of the coastline of Sonora, Mexico, and is tender in winter in Phoenix, so I’m going to have to give it some protection, as it needs to be above 40°.

Since M. boolii stays quite small--usually it gets no taller than a couple of inches; it really has no business hiding behind a boulder in my vast garden. This fall, I’ll probably find a suitable sized pot so it can be displayed at it should be.

Chamaelobivia 'Fire Chief'

Chamaelobivia 'Fire Chief'

The only cactus blooming right now in my collection is the Chamaelobivia 'Fire Chief', its third flush this summer. However, I have a couple of Barrel cacti that promise some spectacular flowers in the next few days. I think everything else is resting for their one last push in mid-September.

Anyone interested in the specifics of the C. 'Fire Chief' can read the rest of the story in one of my previous posts.

Distant Cousins Could Pass For Twins

Chrysactinia mexicana

Many folks mistake my Chrysactinia mexicana (Damianita Daisy) shrubs for Ericameria laricifolia (Turpentine Bush). The flowers are similar, both have similar, dark green foliage and a similar aroma, and both are native to the Southwest. However, the Damianita Daisy blooms in early spring through summer, and the Turpentine Bush blooms in fall through early winter. Both are similar in size, but the Turpentine Bush gets a little larger.

The two shrubs are in the Asterceae family, but of different genera. Although they could pass for twins, the Damianita Daisy and Turpentine Bush are no more related to each other than they are to the common sunflower, which is also a member of the Asterceae family, but in the Helianthus genus.

During the summer, the Damianita blooms in cycles about every three weeks. When in full bloom, it is completely covered with small, bright yellow daisy-like flowers. The flowers fade, and then another wave will start a few weeks later. When not in bloom, this little shrub is really somewhat ugly. It has big gaps in the foliage that show its woody stems and makes it look as if it has been stepped on or mauled in some way. The Turpentine Bush also has the same growth pattern.

I knew my Damianita Daisies left a lot to be desired in the looks department when I chose them, but looks were not important. The main attraction for me was their wonderful aroma. I planted them near my walkway so that I can brush against them when I walk by. They exude a sharp, turpentine-like smell that I really like. (So does the Turpentine Bush, but I prefer the Damianita Daisy aroma. It seems to have a cleaner scent.) I have several less-than-attractive plants in my garden, chosen specifically for their foliage aroma. Flowers aren't everything!

My husband has accused me of causing the ugly gaps in the foliage by stepping on the shrub to release the fragrance. That's untrue. However, I do, on occasion, pinch off a few of the needle-like leaves and take a whiff. It's my form of pruning.

Red Yucca Adds Texture to Arizona Landscapes

Hesperaloe parviflora

When walking through my garden, I never seem to notice the Hesperaloe parviflora, (not parvifolia, as some think,) probably because it is so ubiquitous here in Arizona. The shrub has narrow, stiff leaves that have white, hairy fibers on the margins. A few times a year, it sends up tall spikes that carry salmon pink, tube-shaped flowers that eventually form walnut-sized seedpods. The numerous black seeds, packed tightly into the four quarters of the pod, look remarkably like Pringles®. Hummingbirds and butterflies love this shrub when it’s flowering, so that makes up for its nondescript appearance when the flower stalks are gone.

H. parviflora (Red Yucca) is not a yucca at all, but closely related to the yucca genus (not the aloe genus, as some think). Red Yucca is native to the Chihuahuan desert (not the Sonoran desert as some think) and it grows in USDA zones 5-10. This slow-growing shrub can take temperatures from freezing lows to the harshest summers, but it won’t take heavy, constantly wet soil.


The flowers are long lived. Most folks cut the stalk back as it begins to dry, but the stalk with just the seedpods adds interest and texture to the garden. I love to see this shrub planted in large groupings of five to seven, especially when the grouping includes a few of the newer, H. parviflora ‘Yellow’ cultivar. The grouped shrubs send up hundreds of flower stalks that last for months, brightening even the most barren landscape.

Short and Plump Preferred

Mammillaria bocasana

The Mammillaria genus contains over 200 species, and to date, I’ve collected 21 of those. This is a Mammillaria bocasana, commonly known as the Powder Puff Cactus. As with most Mammillaria, it is native to Mexico. Most of the M. bocasana sold commercially are cultivars, bred to obtain the highest degree of fine white hairs and pronounced flower stripe. Some really do look like little powder puffs.

My specimen seems to have a problem. The nipples, which the Mammillaria genus has instead of ribs, are long and skinny. The nipples are the structures that hold the spines, and they are usually short and plump. Since the cactus stem is the proper shape, I really don’t think etiolation (abnormal lengthening caused by too little light) is the problem. Etiolation usually affects stem length, not the nipples. The skinny nipples could suggest too little water, but I use a water and light meter to care for my entire cactus collection. Since this species is one of the easiest to care for, I’m stumped by its condition.

I’ve moved the cactus to a brighter location and upped the water to see if that makes a difference. It continues to produce many flowers, so I don’t think this condition is fatal.

Nerium Oleander: Vulnerable After All

Nerium oleander 'Petite Pink'

I have conflicted feelings about the Nerium oleander. When I purchased my property, the front landscaping was already in, and it included nine Nerium oleander ‘Petite Pink’ dwarf oleander shrubs. Never a fan, I immediately eliminated four that were awkwardly located. The remaining five line the side of my driveway, and I left them there because they gave the area a nice symmetry.

My feelings about oleander go back a long way. As a child, an uncle told me that my father’s triplet brother died at eleven from falling on an oleander stick. I learned later that was untrue, but the story certainly tainted my perception of the plant. As a teen, my best friend’s plumber uncle told me that his major income came from repairing sewer lines damaged by invasive oleander roots. Then I learned that once planted, oleander is almost impossible to get rid of because of its ability to tolerate extreme heat, cold, drought and pest and pestilence. More on that later.

The oleander’s origin is the Middle East and Asia. It thrives in USDA Zones 8b to 11 and it is used extensively in the Southwest as a freeway planting. It flowers most of the year and thrives on neglect. It has tough, leathery leaves and can grow to 30 feet over a period of years.

Huge oleander stands are found throughout Phoenix. The plantings serve as a natural fence between properties and as a buffer from traffic noise, and define the character and charm of several popular historic neighborhoods around town.

The dwarf variety is more common in newer neighborhoods now that folks are familiar with the downside of the oleander. The small size is controlled by pruning a couple of times a year. In addition, propagation is a snap, literally. Just snap off a twig and stick it in the ground and stand back.

Oleander is toxic. It should not be eaten—more of a problem with pets than with humans, I would hope. Some people are allergic and have skin reactions just touching the cuttings. The smoke from burning oleanders is especially toxic. Earlier this year, a fire occurred in a Phoenix neighborhood and the fire department called for an evacuation of the area until the fire was under control, all because of the burning oleander.

It turns out that oleander is subject to pest and pestilence after all. There is a bacterium spread by a common sucking insect, the smoke tree sharpshooter. The bacterium causes Oleander Leaf Scorch, which eventually kills the plant. Once the plant is infected, it’s a goner. Whole stands of oleander have died out in California, and the problem has now begun in Arizona. If it finally hits some of those old Phoenix neighborhoods, it will change the face of the city. Although I’ve never cared for the plant, I would sure hate to see that happen.

Lantana: Multiplicity Personified

Lantana camara 'New Gold'

Lantana camara is considered a poisonous, noxious weed in many parts of the world, but the sterile hybrids used in landscapes are innocuous. The ‘New Gold’ is one of the hundreds of cultivars available from which to choose. It seems a new cultivar comes out every day, sometimes developed just for special occasions or in honor of some person, place, or thing.

Flower colors range from yellow to red to lavender and white, and any combination of those colors, sometimes on the same flower head. The cultivars can be of the mounding, spreading, or trailing varieties, and the size can range from compact 1’ x 1’ plants to 8’ x 8’ giant bushes. They are used in a variety of ways, such as in flower beds or as accents, as potted or hanging plants or as a screen. Some cultivars produce poisonous berries, others are sterile. Simply put, with all these choices, it can be a plant for all people, all the time.

Even the scent of the leaves and flowers can differ from cultivar to cultivar. Some find the smell pleasant; others despise it, likening it to everything from gasoline to citrus to cat urine. I would describe the scent of the lantana in my garden as something petroleum--not obnoxious, but not pleasing.

Lantana ‘New Gold’ is an excellent, fast growing ground cover, spreading two to four feet and growing one foot high. Since the ‘New Gold’ cultivar is sterile and doesn’t produce seeds, there is no worry about invasiveness. It has a long bloom period, but looks better if trimmed in late summer, which seems to revive it after the scorching days of mid-July to mid-August. It looks ratty in winter, and its foliage is frost tender, so I just cut it close to the ground in late winter rather than look at it. It comes back quickly in spring and begins flowering in early April, attracting butterflies and hummingbirds.

In addition to the 20 or so Lantana ‘New Gold’ plants in my garden, I also have several Lantana ‘Radiation’ (yellow and orange flowers) and ‘Confetti’ (yellow to purple flowers) but the ‘New Gold’ performs best. I also have 12 Lantana montevidensis ‘Imperial Purple’, a trailing variety that is a great cool weather performer, but it struggles in the summer heat. The reason I have so many Lantana plants is not for a great love of the genus, it’s only that I needed some quick groundcover to break up the starkness of a new landscape while my other plants developed.

It would be fun to have a cultivar developed and named ‘Water When Dry’, but only if it were free! I suppose a few more in my garden wouldn't hurt anything. I wonder what it would smell like.

From Rain to Flowers--Barometer Plant Right Again

The Leucophyllum frutescens is often called the Barometer plant because it blooms just about 10 days after a rain, or a day of high humidity, regardless of the time of year. Some think that flowering is triggered by the high soil moisture after a rain, but irrigation does not trigger flowering, so the whole flower blooming thing is a mystery.

The plant, also called Texas Sage, is native to New Mexico, Texas and Mexico’s Chihuahuan desert. It does equally well in our Sonoran desert. It can survive just about any weather condition, and the only thing it can't take is soaked roots as it is prone to is root rot. Arid deserts are its best home for this reason.

The L. frutescens is used extensively in Arizona low desert road medians and in freeway plantings. This bush can get huge—up to eight feet high and wide, which makes regular pruning necessary to maintain size and shape in confined areas. Road crews and landscape maintenance employees regularly shear it rather than prune it for the sake of speed. The result of endless shearings is an ugly, bald plant with no flowers. Shape should be maintained by selective pruning of stems and branches down into the plant, rather than the shearing of the ends of the stems. It’s more labor intensive if done properly, so the shearing will continue. My Texas Sage is an example of good pruning techniques if I do say so myself. It has a rounded shape, no bald patches and is in full flower after our recent rains.

Many folks plant several L. frutescens in their yards and then shear them into unnatural shapes. I’ve seen Texas Sage sheared and shaped like mushrooms, Christmas trees, and even Mickey Mouse! Such pruning would look unnatural in any area, but it looks especially peculiar in the Arizona desert.

The flower on the L. frutescens has numerous hairs that make it appear out of focus in photos. The flowers are quite fragrant, with a spicy smell similar to carnation. My five L. frutescens are the cultivar, ‘Green Cloud’™, which has green foliage and pink-lavendar flowers, as shown. The other popular cultivars in this area are ‘Silver Cloud'™ with gray foliage and lavender-blue flowers, and ‘Thunder Cloud’™, with gray-green leaves and purple flowers. There are about nine cultivars to choose from, depending on the look you are going for in your garden.

Regardless of the cultivar choice, please stay away from mushrooms and Mickey Mouse. Not cool!

Rebutia

Rebutia sp.

There are about 60 species in the Rebutia genus. This cactus did not have a species identity when I purchased it, and I have no idea what it is. I think it may be R. minuscule, or Red Crown Cactus, as its flower most closely matches that of the R. minuscule. I have four identified species of Rebutia, and all have similarly shaped flowers but different stems and spines than the one shown here. Therefore, that leaves 56 more species to consider as contenders in the ID game. (Any help with identity is welcomed.)

Rebutia is native to Bolivia and Argentina. Cacti in this genus need strong light, but not direct sunlight, and a well-draining soil. Although recommended for beginning collectors, some find Rebutia hard to grow. I’ve never had any trouble with them. I just water when dry in the summer, and keep them dry in winter. Over watering is the most common reason for Rebutia failure in beginner’s collections. Old habits are hard to break.

Almost all the species in the genus have large, day-blooming flowers that range from a deep red to an orange-yellow color, and the flowers start from the lower part of the cactus stem. There are a few species with white flowers, but they are not easily found in cactus nurseries.

The cacti in the Rebutia genus is generally small in body, so they are most often kept in pots because they would be barely noticeable planted in a garden. In addition, they all require a slightly acidic soil and our desert soil is alkaline, so they wouldn't do well in native soil.

Agave "Litter" Saves The Day

Agave desmettiana

Agave desmettiana is a beautiful, urn shaped Agave that does very well in the Phoenix area, except during a rare hard freeze, such as the one we had here last winter. This Agave suffered some damage to its lower leaves, which left it a little unattractive as a focal plant in my garden. The A. desmettiana freely produces offsets, so I decided to let the pups remain and grow in order to cover up the damaged areas. The photo shows the result of that decision. I like the look, but I will have to thin the pups because they will soon distort from overcrowding. Under normal circumstances, I would remove the pups when small and pot them, or perhaps move a few to other areas of my garden. The graceful A. desmettiana should really stand alone.

The A. desmettiana is probably native to Sinaloa, Mexico, and is popular because it has smooth leaves. However, the terminal spine is just as sharp and dangerous as the other Agaves, so it needs to be located accordingly. Known as the Smooth-leafed Agave or the Regal Agave, it is often used as a container plant because of its elegant shape.

There is a variegated version that has a yellow stripe on the margins, as well as one with minor teeth along the margins. Its leaves are usually a dark green, but there are specimens available with paler leaves that won’t take as much sun. The yellow striped variant, usually grown in containers, is more popular in other parts of the country.

Some shade protection is recommended for the A. desmettiana in Phoenix, but my plant receives full sun all day without any damage. It requires little, but regular watering every couple of weeks in summer. The average size is three feet by three feet, but mine has already reached four feet high.

In the animal world, a litter of pups may bring unexpected problems. In the plant world, a "litter" of pups can sometimes save the day, as they did for my frost damaged A. desmettiana.

A Break From The Garden

Arizona Summer Sunset From My Garden

I'm off to an art retreat. I'll be back on Friday.

Mammillaria elongata ~ Nice And Ordinary

The Mammillaria elongata, used a lot in those cactus dish gardens commonly sold at garden centers, is often the first cactus purchased by a beginning collector. It makes a good windowsill plant because it has harmless, soft spines. Its common name is Golden Stars, or Lady Finger Cactus. The spines are situated so that they are shaped like a star, hence the name. Another reason it is popular is that its many offsets can be removed at any time and potted to start a new specimen.

The appearance of this specimen is typical, with the one long stem and numerous shorter stems surrounding it. At a recent cactus show, I couldn't believe the number of nearly identical M. elongata entered. The cactus can have so many variations, actually more than most Mammillaria species, so the sameness of all those entries surprised me.

The M. elongata comes from Central Mexico and needs light shade in Arizona. It needs a little more summer water than other Mammillaria species. The cactus can have spines that range from pale yellow to a coppery red. The flowers can range from a pale yellow to a pinkish shade. The flowers on my specimen are very pale yellow, almost off-white. The flowers are small, and look like little stars.

There is certain snobbishness among some cactus collectors in that they only want rare and exotic cacti in their collections, as if an "ordinary" cactus will somehow diminish their collection's value. Ordinary is fine with me. If I like the way a cactus looks, then I'll add it to my collection, common or not. That's why I have this little Golden Stars.

Echinopsis candicans

Echinopsis candicans

Echinopsis candicans, known as Argentine Giant, produces fragrant nocturnal flowers that are up to eight inches in diameter. Since I’m not an early riser, I missed this flower when it was at its peak. You can see in the photo that the “bloom is off the rose” so to speak.

The short-lived flowers usually bloom at dusk until dawn, then wilt by mid-morning. However, last year, this cactus flowered in late March and the 12 flowers lasted almost four days. The early flowering in cooler weather must have been the reason for the longer life of all those flowers. Such a flowering habit is rare.


The large, fragrant white night-blooming flowers are the perfect draw for night pollinators such as bats and hawk moths, who locate the flowers by their light color and fragrance. I’ve never seen any bats, but the moths are abundant.


The E. candicans is a clumping cactus that grows to about three feet. Mine is approaching that height, and it will continue to produce new heads until the cactus is six or seven feet wide. It takes full sun and little water.

To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time
~ Robert Herrick

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old time is still a-flying:
And this same flower that smiles to-day
To-morrow will be dying.

The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,
The higher he's a-getting,
The sooner will his race be run,
And nearer he's to setting.

That age is best which is the first,
When youth and blood are warmer;
But being spent, the worse, and worst
Times still succeed the former.

Then be not coy, but use your time,
And while ye may go marry:
For having lost but once your prime
You may for ever tarry.

Living Proof Of Poor Decision-Making

Have you ever purchased a plant or a pot and then wondered what in the world you had been thinking? My only excuse for the pot is that it was a thrift store bargain. The plant itself--I have no idea. It just seemed like a good idea at the time, and it was cute in its infanthood. Separately, they were unattractive, together, revolting. I really detest both the pot and the plant!

The plant is a succulent called Crassula obovata, or commonly, Jade Plant. (I've come to the conclusion that true identity is impossible because each plant labeled C. obovata is completely different.) It can't take the heat in Phoenix so I have to keep it in the house. It can't take any frost in winter, so that means it is in the house most of the year, right where I can see it.

I would be too embarrassed to give it away, and I just can't throw it away, because that's like premeditated murder! The only outcome I can hope for is that it dies a natural death. I won't withhold liquids or nutrients to speed the process. It could succumb to a mealy bug infestation or contract a pathogen of some sort, but I won't wish that upon it just because I made a mistake. Its being hit by the proverbial Mack truck is beyond the realm of possibility. Its fate is in the stars. The pot is a different story. Once the plant is gone, the pot is history!

I've learned my lesson about dreadful plants and ugly, cheap pots. From now on, I will carefully weigh all purchases. Jade plants can live for 50 years. I have a feeling this monstrosity will outlive me!

Ruellia brittoniana ~ Desert Petunia

The Ruellia brittoniana, commonly called the Desert Petunia, is not related to the garden petunia we are all familiar with. The R. brittoniana originated in Mexico, and it is sometimes called the Mexican Petunia. This tough perennial can be invasive as it easily spreads by seed and rhizomes. Since I wanted to have a stand of it in one area of my garden, I’ve appreciated its ability to self-sew. Invasiveness is not so much a problem in our Arizona soils as in other areas where it grows (USDA Zones 9-10) since our desert soils are much lower in organic matter.

The R. brittoniana comes in several colors, including purple, blue, pale pink and white. I’ve had the pale pink variety, but much prefer the lilac blue of the plants I currently have. It flowers from spring until the first frost. In a warm year, I have flowers year-round. If we do have frost, the plant looks bad, so I cut it back to six inches and it comes back better than ever.

There is also a dwarf variety of the R. brittoniana with blue-purple flowers called ‘Katie’. The dwarf variety also comes with the same range of colors as the regular Ruellia. I also have ‘Katie’ in my garden. Both types are easy care and both are drought-resistant. The dwarf variety does not spread as easily as the taller R. brittoniana, so it is popular in smaller gardens. The dwarf variety makes a great container plant. It grows to about one foot tall and two feet wide and deadheading is not necessary.

Mammillaria grahamii: Tagged, Sealed and Delivered

Just as expected, the Mammillaria grahamii in my garden has started to flower. This happens just like clockwork about five days after the first rainfall of the monsoon in early to mid-July. Flowering will continue until early September. The flowers grow in the axils of the cactus and form a ring near its top.

This species has about ten common names; Arizona Pincushion, Lizard Catcher, Sunset Cactus, Cabeza de Viejo, and Black-spined Pincushion, to name a few. The M. grahamii usually has a nurse plant in habitat, so when planting it in the garden, give it protection from frost and even the summer sun until it’s well acclimated. Supplemental water is usually not necessary, as long as we get the normal average rainfall over the year. If rains do not come, some water should be provided in summer, but be careful in winter. The M. grahamii does fine without water, and will shrivel, but it will plump up in the spring.

Found abundantly in the deserts of Arizona, New Mexico, and east Texas, this Mammillaria species is, nevertheless, a protected species in Arizona and should not be disturbed. Severe penalties await anyone caught taking them from their native homes. Native plants that are subject to a high potential for damage by theft or vandalism become “Salvage Restricted” and require a Salvage permit signed by the landowner to remove them. They must have a tag and seal in transport. Developers call upon Cactus and Succulent Society local clubs to salvage protected cacti when developers begin clearing land. The clubs buy the tags and seals, and then sell the salvaged plants.

Sometimes you’ll see people at intersections in rural areas selling various items, such as produce and untagged native cacti. Purchasing protected cacti from these unlicensed vendors is risky, because more than likely they’ve surreptitiously removed the cacti from the open desert just to make a few fast bucks. If you buy it and someone asks to see a tag and seal and it has none, the fines can be tremendous. Ignorance is no excuse in the state of Arizona when it comes to its protected plants.

Los Angeles Morning

Echinopsis x Los Angeles

The knowledge of yesterday's storm damage to my garden was on my mind as I arose this morning, until I looked outside and saw that there were ten fully opened flowers on my Echinopsis x Los Angeles. It certainly brightened my day. This is the second flush of the season for this cactus. The first produced two flowers, and they were quite large. These flowers are smaller, which is not unusual when there are a number of them.

The genus Echinopsis contains over 100 species of cacti from South America. In addition to the many species, there are hundreds of hybrids available in a multitude of colors. The common name for Echinopsis is Sea Urchin cactus or Easter lily cactus. When young, most are globular and as they age, they become columnar.

In Arizona, Echinopsis hybrids need light shade, but in other regions, most species can take full sun. Unlike many cacti, it has a large root system and likes a lot of room to grow, so it shouldn’t be potted in tight pots as with other cacti. I like to place my Echinopsis in my garden under the dappled light of a Palo Verde tree canopy. The ones I have planted there are doing very well.

In the 1930s and 1940s, Harry Johnson of Paramount, California created many of the Echinopsis hybrids that are available today. Echinopsis hybrids are very easy to grow. The pups produced will be identical to the parent, so if you find a hybrid that you like, you can be sure that the flowers that come from the pups will be true to the parent. It is also easy to grow Echinopsis hybrids from seed, but there is no guarantee that the flower will be the same. In fact, the flowers can be completely different in color and shape.