Each year, around the end of August, I walk into the plant section of our local home improvement store just to look at the colorful, flowering annuals
While I may be sorely tempted, I don’t buy any; I just like to look.
BUT, I know that I am in trouble when the majority of the nursery shelves is covered in a sea of winter annuals – I feel like a kid in a candy store. The vibrant colors and scents are almost intoxicating – to me anyway.
In the past, when I managed landscapes on golf courses, I would come to the store in our work truck and load countless flats of annuals for planting around the golf courses and the other buildings. I loved planning ahead of time what I would plant and the color combinations that I would use.
Petunias, bacopa, and alyssum
In the low desert, winter annuals typically show up in the nurseries around late August, and it is so easy to get caught up in the excitement of fall being just around the corner along with the promise of cooler weather. So before you know it, you buy a bunch of flowers and run home and plant them. The problem is, is that it is often still too hot for them to survive.
Red geraniums with bacopa
For years, I would tear out the summer annuals around the golf courses and plant winter flowers in late September, usually with good results. Of course, I would have to be vigilant and replace a few plants that would fall victim to the warm September temperatures, but overall they did fine.
That is until one year when we had higher than usual temperatures in early October. The flowers kept dying despite my best efforts. Each day on my way to work, I would have to stop by the nursery to buy replacement plants. This got kind of old after 2 – 3 weeks and I would have to go from store to store to find the same kind of flowers that I needed.
Blue Petunias
So, I learned my lesson – no matter what, we would not plant winter annuals until late October. I mean, it was silly to pull out the summer annuals in September when they still looked great. I think people want to get a jump start on winter flowers because it makes us feel like the weather is cooler when it isn’t. So unless you want to make extra visits to your local nursery, WAIT until mid-October.
Now, since I no longer manage landscape areas, I am only responsible for my annual pots. Last year I planted hot pink geraniums with alyssum, and they did very well. In the past, I have tried the following combinations with good results:
– Yellow Snapdragons with Blue (Deep Purple)
– Petunias and White Alyssum
– Red Geraniums with White Alyssum
– Hot Pink Geraniums with Lobelia
– Yellow Pansies with Lobelia
– Light Blue Pansies and Alyssum
– White Snapdragons with Pink Petunias and Lobelia
Snapdragon
PLANTING:For containers (pots), I use a planting/potting mix, which is specially formulated for containers – not potting soil, which can become soggy.
If you are planting annuals in the ground, then I add compost or potting soil to the existing soil at a ratio of about 1 part compost to 1 part existing soil.
If you do not have a compost pile at home, you can buy bagged compost at your local nursery. Add slow-release fertilizer, following directions on the label. Plant your winter annuals, making sure that they have enough space between them to grow.
CARE: Water twice a day. I usually water in the morning and maybe late in the afternoon as the plants are becoming established (about two weeks). You can then water once a day or every 2 – 3 days, depending on the weather.
In a managed landscape setting, I would also fertilize weekly with a liquid fertilizer to promote maximum blooming. At home, I usually fertilize every other week.
Viola
Now that we are in the second half of October, I am ready for planting winter annuals in my garden. I have been thinking about planting violas. I have not planted them since I was a little girl and I did notice some beautiful ones at the nursery back in August. Those violas are probably dead from the heat of late August.
Hopefully, they will have some new ones in now that it is really time to plant!
A Children’s Flower Garden in a Kiddie Swimming Pool
Read The Plant Label…Or You Might End Up With Cupcakes
Arizona, Arizona garden, Landscape Design, Landscape No-NoHas this happened to you? You walk through the nursery, and you spot “the perfect plant.” You can envision it in your yard and know precisely where you will put it.
After coming home and planting it, you pat yourself on the back for finding such a great plant. Time passes, and your beautiful plant starts to grow, and grow and grow.
Texas Sage ‘Green Cloud’ (Leucophyllum frutescens ‘Green Cloud’) 1-gallon Approximately 1 ft. Wide and tall.
Texas Sage ‘Green Cloud’ pruned like ‘cupcakes.’
Fast forward a year or two now it looks bad unless you constantly prune making it high maintenance. Now your beautiful plant no longer looks so lovely (above and below). It now looks more like a ‘cupcake’ because you have had to prune it back to keep it small enough for your space.
No more flowers, no nice foliage…
More ‘cupcakes.’
Unfortunately, there is an epidemic in our area of homeowners and landscapers who prune flowering shrubs so that they end up looking like ‘cupcakes’ or ‘poodles’ just so that they fit into their allotted space. More about that in another post…
Texas Sage ‘Green Cloud’ in its natural shape. They can grow up to 8 ft. high and wide but can be easily maintained at a more moderate 4′ x 4′.
Texas Sage Flower
Also with flowers this beautiful, why plant it somewhere where you will have to prune them off so that it can fit?
So our lesson is…. be sure to READ THE LABEL of plants before you buy them, which should list how large they will grow, along with the correct sun exposure. If it’s not listed, ask the nursery salesperson for this information, or use your smartphone to get the information.
Then you can go home and place your new “perfect plant” where they will have plenty of room to ‘stretch out’ and dazzle you with their beauty.
**Allowing enough room for plants is just part of what it takes to grow attractive shrubs. Pruning is the next part of the equation. Click here for guidelines on how to properly prune your flowering shrubs.
A Children’s Flower Garden in a Kiddie Swimming Pool
az plant lady family, Containers, DIY, Gardening With KidsI’m sure most of you know how much fun it can be to garden with your kids. I remember my dad building each of us a raised planter where we could grow vegetables and flowers. Today, my kids and I went to the store to buy flowers for their new garden. You will NEVER guess what they are planting their flowers in…
Our first stop was our local nursery. Each was allowed to pick out two six-packs of flowers. The kids decided to each pick a different type of flower and then shared them. My youngest daughter, Gracie, selected geraniums and blue petunias.
Ruthie went the fragrant route and selected stock, (beautiful and fragrant despite its ordinary name) and white alyssum.
Dianthus and snapdragons were Kai’s choice.
We finished making our selections and then got ready to go home and start planting. The only question the kids had was – where were they going to plant their flowers?
How about their old kiddie pool? You know – the ones that cost about $10 that your kids play in during the summer. However, once summer is over, most people either throw out their pool or store it somewhere out of the way.
Well, now you can use it as a planter for either flowers or shallow-rooted vegetables or herbs.
The process is easy, and your kids will have fun assisting you.
First, move the pool where you want the garden to be as it will be too heavy once you fill it with soil. Then make multiple holes on the bottom for drainage. Then fill with a mixture of potting mix. Sprinkle some slow-release fertilizer and now begin planting!
Gracie planted her first plant, a peach-colored geranium.
My teenage daughter, Rachele, was overseeing our progress while texting on her phone.
We finished! The kids are so excited to see their flowers grow. The garden will be a riot of different colors and has no sense of design, which is as it should be for a children’s flower garden.
This will be our ‘before’ picture. We planted alyssum, dianthus, geraniums, petunias, snapdragons, and stock.
If you would like to try this at home and want the garden to become a more permanent part of the landscape, you can add a brick border or plant shrubs and perennials around the outside of the pool.
When To and When NOT to Plant Flowering Annuals
CompostEach year, around the end of August, I walk into the plant section of our local home improvement store just to look at the colorful, flowering annuals
While I may be sorely tempted, I don’t buy any; I just like to look.
BUT, I know that I am in trouble when the majority of the nursery shelves is covered in a sea of winter annuals – I feel like a kid in a candy store. The vibrant colors and scents are almost intoxicating – to me anyway.
In the past, when I managed landscapes on golf courses, I would come to the store in our work truck and load countless flats of annuals for planting around the golf courses and the other buildings. I loved planning ahead of time what I would plant and the color combinations that I would use.
Petunias, bacopa, and alyssum
In the low desert, winter annuals typically show up in the nurseries around late August, and it is so easy to get caught up in the excitement of fall being just around the corner along with the promise of cooler weather. So before you know it, you buy a bunch of flowers and run home and plant them. The problem is, is that it is often still too hot for them to survive.
Red geraniums with bacopa
For years, I would tear out the summer annuals around the golf courses and plant winter flowers in late September, usually with good results. Of course, I would have to be vigilant and replace a few plants that would fall victim to the warm September temperatures, but overall they did fine.
That is until one year when we had higher than usual temperatures in early October. The flowers kept dying despite my best efforts. Each day on my way to work, I would have to stop by the nursery to buy replacement plants. This got kind of old after 2 – 3 weeks and I would have to go from store to store to find the same kind of flowers that I needed.
Blue Petunias
So, I learned my lesson – no matter what, we would not plant winter annuals until late October. I mean, it was silly to pull out the summer annuals in September when they still looked great. I think people want to get a jump start on winter flowers because it makes us feel like the weather is cooler when it isn’t. So unless you want to make extra visits to your local nursery, WAIT until mid-October.
Now, since I no longer manage landscape areas, I am only responsible for my annual pots. Last year I planted hot pink geraniums with alyssum, and they did very well. In the past, I have tried the following combinations with good results:
– Yellow Snapdragons with Blue (Deep Purple)
– Petunias and White Alyssum
– Red Geraniums with White Alyssum
– Hot Pink Geraniums with Lobelia
– Yellow Pansies with Lobelia
– Light Blue Pansies and Alyssum
– White Snapdragons with Pink Petunias and Lobelia
Snapdragon
PLANTING:For containers (pots), I use a planting/potting mix, which is specially formulated for containers – not potting soil, which can become soggy.
If you are planting annuals in the ground, then I add compost or potting soil to the existing soil at a ratio of about 1 part compost to 1 part existing soil.
If you do not have a compost pile at home, you can buy bagged compost at your local nursery. Add slow-release fertilizer, following directions on the label. Plant your winter annuals, making sure that they have enough space between them to grow.
CARE: Water twice a day. I usually water in the morning and maybe late in the afternoon as the plants are becoming established (about two weeks). You can then water once a day or every 2 – 3 days, depending on the weather.
In a managed landscape setting, I would also fertilize weekly with a liquid fertilizer to promote maximum blooming. At home, I usually fertilize every other week.
Viola
Now that we are in the second half of October, I am ready for planting winter annuals in my garden. I have been thinking about planting violas. I have not planted them since I was a little girl and I did notice some beautiful ones at the nursery back in August. Those violas are probably dead from the heat of late August.
Hopefully, they will have some new ones in now that it is really time to plant!
A Children’s Flower Garden in a Kiddie Swimming Pool
Baja Fairy Duster: Unique and Red
Arizona, Arizona garden, Drought Tolerant, Fertilizer, Irrigation, Shrubs, Southwest gardenBaja Fairy Duster is Hummingbird Food in the Native Garden
Baja fairy duster (Calliandra californica) is a must-have for the desert garden. There is so much to love about this shrub.
My favorite attribute is that it flowers off and on all year. Its red flowers are shaped like miniature feather dusters. Also, this plant attracts hummingbirds, is low-maintenance, drought tolerant and great by swimming pools because of its low litter.
Baja fairy duster has a vibrant red flower, which is often a color missing in the desert plant palette. The majority of flowering occurs spring through fall, but some flowering can occur in areas that experience mild winters.
It is native to Baja California, Mexico and is also called red fairy duster by some. It is evergreen to 20 degrees F. During some unusually cold winters when temperatures dropped into the high teens, I have had some killed to the ground, but they quickly grew back from their roots.
Landscape Uses for the Red Blooming Shrub
This shrub grows to approximately 4 – 5 ft. High and wide, depending on how much you prune it, so allow plenty of room for it to develop.
It makes a lovely screening shrub, either in front of a wall or blocking pool equipment, etc. It also serves as a colorful background shrub for smaller perennials such as damianita, blackfoot daisy, Parry’s penstemon, gold or purple lantana and desert marigold.
Baja fairy duster can take full sun and reflected heat but can also grow in light shade. It is not particular about soil as long as it is well-drained.
Baja fairy duster in the middle of a desert landscape, flanked by desert spoon to the left and ‘Torch Glow’ bougainvillea to the right. Red yucca is in the foreground.
Baja Fairy Duster Maintenance
As I mentioned before, this is a very low-maintenance shrub. Some people shear this shrub, which I DO NOT recommend. This removes most of the flowers and takes away from the natural shape of this shrub. However, it’s size can be controlled with proper pruning. Pruning should be done in late spring and should be performed with hand-pruners, NOT hedge clippers.
Baja fairy duster does require regular irrigation until established but then is relatively drought-tolerant. However, proper watering is needed for it to look its best and flower regularly, which is what I do.
Other than adding compost to the planting hole, no other amendments or fertilizer is needed. Most native desert plants have been adapted to growing in our nutrient deficient soils and do best when left alone in terms of fertilizing. I tell my clients to fertilize only if the plant shows symptoms of a nutrient deficiency.
So, go to your local plant nursery and get some of these beautiful shrubs for your garden. Then, while you sit and enjoy its beauty, you can debate what you love most about it….the beautiful year-round flowers, the hummingbirds it attracts, it’s low-maintenance, or come up with your reasons.
What Plant Where? Beautiful Plant Combinations
Arizona, Arizona garden, desert gardening, Landscape Design, Southwest gardenDiscover Stunning Plant Combinations
Do you ever wonder what plants look good together? Below are pictures of some of my favorite plant combinations along with some general guidelines that I follow when designing a garden. Keep in mind that planting similar plants together which require similar water needs makes it easier to maintain a landscape.
Color Harmony in Plant Combinations
Sometimes red and pink colors always complement each other. Introducing yellow flowering plants provide a high color contrast that brings out the red and pink colors. Above is a golf course landscape that I planted with Valentine shrub (Eremophila ‘Valentine’), Parry’s penstemon (Penstemon parryi) and desert marigold (Baileya multiradiata) against the backdrop of foothill palo verde trees.
Parry’s agave (Agave parryi) with purple trailing lantana (Lantana montevidensis)
Succulent and Perennial Pairings
Also, succulents paired with perennials almost always complement each other with their contrasting shades of green and textures. Other recommended succulent and perennial pairings include desert spoon (Dasylirion wheeleri) alongside black dalea (Dalea frutescens), prickly pear species with penstemon or try octopus agave (Agave vilmoriniana) with purple or white trailing lantana.
Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii ‘Red’)
Emphasizing Colors with a White Flower Contrast
Blackfoot Daisy (Melampodium leucanthum)
I use plants with white flowers as a backdrop for plants with red, pink and purple flowers; I like the way the white flowers emphasize the other colors.
Using the Color Wheel for Plant Combinations
‘Rio Bravo’ Sage (Leucophyllum langmaniae) & Red Bird-of-Paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima)
Most of the time the pairing of purple flowering plants with those that have orange flowers always looks great. When deciding what colors look good when paired together, it helps to look at a color wheel. In general, the colors that are opposite each other look great when paired together because their colors contrast so well. Other orange, purple plant combinations to try are cape honeysuckle (Tecomaria capensis) with (Leucophyllum species), or Mexican honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera) with purple lantana.
The Power of Yellow Flowering Plants
Angelita daisy (Tetraneuris acaulis) and parry’s penstemon (Penstemon parryi)
Also, I believe that any garden looks better with some yellow flowering plants. As I mentioned earlier, the color yellow makes the other plants look better, (think of the color wheel). I have had clients that have said they do not like yellow until I show them how much better their other plants look when we introduce just a few yellow flowering plants to their landscape and they quickly change their mind.
Yellow Bells (Tecoma stans stans)
Large Shrub Plant Combinations
Bougainvillea ‘Barbara Karst’
I often recommend the following for those who are looking for large shrub combinations. Okay, I realize that many people either love or hate bougainvillea. Personally, I love them. I have two bougainvillea and since I don’t have a swimming pool, so I am not bothered by their litter. Their beautiful and vibrant colors are amazing.
Timing Matters in Plant Pairings
I pair my bougainvillea with yellow bell shrubs. Their colors contrast nicely, and they screen out the back wall of my garden. I give them plenty of room to grow, and they produce beautiful flowers spring through fall. If you do have a swimming pool and don’t like bougainvillea, how about trying orange jubilee (Tecoma hybrid ‘Orange Jubilee’) and Texas Sage (Leucophyllum frutescens) together?
Weber’s agave (Agave weberi) and purple trailing lantana
I have just one more tip – if you want to pair flowering plants together to enjoy the contrasting colors, make sure that they bloom at the same time of year. It is so easy to visit the plant nursery and see the pretty photos of flowers on the different plants and pick what ones you think will look great together only to discover later that one flower in the fall while the other blooms in spring and so you never see their flowers at the same time.
So, visit your local nursery and try some of the suggested plant combinations or see what beautiful plant pairings you come up with for your garden.
Why Do Cactus Have Spines ?
Cactus/Succulents, desertWhat comes to mind when you think of cactus?
Perhaps the first thing you think of is the spines. If you have ever been unfortunate enough to have been pricked by a cactus, you’ll likely never forget that most of them have needles.
*Did I ever tell you about the time I worked on golf course landscape and backed into a teddy bear cholla and got an entire piece lodged in the back of my leg?
Besides being painful to those who get too near to cacti, did you know that there are important reasons that cacti have spines?
Golden barrel cactuses (Echinocactus grusonii)
First, let’s look at the spines of cactus for what they are – the main part of cactus often functions as a modified stem, and its needles are the leaves.
The most obvious function of cactus spines is to protect the cacti from animals and people. There are, however, a few animals who aren’t deterred by the sharp spines of cacti such as javelina, tortoises and pack rats.
Saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) spines
Suprise, the primary function of the spines are to actually shade the cactus.
Although just one small spine would hardly provide shade, thousands of them can provide enough.
Why is sun protection needed for the surface of cacti? The shade from the spines let the cactus lose water through the atmosphere. This helps keep the cactus temperature relatively low.
Black-spine prickly pear (Opuntia macrocentra)
Another function that the spines serve is that they help certain species of cacti such as cholla to root and spread.
Teddy bear cholla (Opuntia bigelovii)
Spines of the Cholla are specialized to detach and attach onto anything that comes to close. There are tiny barbs at the tips which grab on to anything that gets too close. It almost appears as if they ‘jump’ off of the main cactus as they latch on the unlucky recipient.
Spines of the Cholla are specialized to detach and attach onto anything that comes to close. There are tiny barbs at the tips which grab on to anything that gets too close. It almost appears as if they ‘jump’ off of the main cactus as they latch on the unlucky recipient.
**If like me, you are ever unlucky enough to find a piece of cholla embedded in your clothes or worse, your skin – you can use a comb to help pull out the barbs. When hiking in the desert, it is easy to get them stuck on your shoes. I usually grab a rock and use it to push off the Cholla segment. When all else fails, a good pair of needle-nose pliers works.
Two young saguaro cactuses are emerging from the shelter of a creosote shrub.
Hopefully, you have a new appreciation for cacti and their spines. But, it’s still important to be careful because it hurts when you get pricked!
What Plant Where? Beautiful Plant Combinations
Firecracker Penstemon: Orange-Red Spikes of Color
desert gardeningI got asked, what my favorite plant is.
Well, asking a horticulturist to tell you what her favorite plant is, is rather like asking a mother to tell you who her favorite child is – it’s impossible.
But when pressed, I breakdown and admit to liking one particular plant slightly more than all the others.
Firecracker Penstemon (Penstemon eatonii) is my favorite plant. There is so much to love about this beautiful perennial; it is hard to know where to start…. reddish-orange flowers, it attracts hummingbirds, blooms winter through spring, is low-maintenance, drought tolerant and native to the desert.
Need I say more? Well then, I will……
This particular penstemon species can be found growing in the Southwestern United States. Heat and cold don’t bother it. It can grow in 100+ temperatures and is hardy to -20 degrees F.
Beautiful orange/red flowers bloom in the winter and spring. Grown easily from seed, Firecracker Penstemon reaches a mature size of approximately 2′ x 2′ when in flower.
Firecracker penstemon is a welcome asset to the desert flower garden. Plant in full sun and keep away from the shade as they will grow leggy from lack of sunlight. I particularly like the way they look when planted singly next to boulders. They also look spectacular in bloom when planted in groups of three.
Place alongside other plants that are either yellow or white which will contrast nicely with the orange/red color of this Penstemon’s blooms. Recommended companion plants include damianita, blackfoot daisy, prickly pear cactus, brittlebush, agave, angelita daisy, and desert marigold.
For maximum hummingbird viewing, be sure to plant firecracker penstemon where you will be able to see the hummingbirds feeding.
MAINTENANCE: This perennial is low-maintenance. The primary requirement is the removal of spent flower stalks, which will often promote additional flowering. Firecracker penstemon is drought tolerant when established, but will require regular irrigation to look their best. At the minimum, supplemental water will be needed in the summer months. Older plants can be-be cut back to remove old, woody growth. NO fertilizer is required.
Now you know why firecracker penstemon is my favorite plant! I encourage you to try this beautiful plant in your zone 5 – 10 garden. I am sure you will love it as much as I do.
Why Do Cactus Have Spines ?
Fall is Here! Time to Start Planting!
Arizona garden, California desert garden, desert gardening, Las Vegas gardening, Southwest gardenThe time has finally arrived! Summer temperatures are but a memory and fall is here!
Every year we wait for the end of summer so we can start adding plants in the garden. The only question is what plants will I add?
The possibilities are endless…
Purple Lilac Vine (Hardenbergia violaceae)
The signs that fall in the desert may not be as evident as in other parts of the county, yet they are here. Elongating shadows, cooler evening temperatures along with increased plant growth and flowering are clear signs that the heat of summer is fading and cooler temperatures are on their way.
Blackfoot Daisy (Melampodium leucanthum)
October and November are the best months in which to plant most types of plants in the desert. The reason for this is that plants use the cooler weather in which to grow a healthy root system so that by the time that the summer arrives, they are ready to handle the stress of the intense heat.
Parry’s Penstemon (Penstemon parryi)
Most trees, shrubs, perennials, and succulents can be planted now. Stay away from planting palms, bougainvillea, lantana and other plants that suffer frost damage during the winter months. They do best when planted in the spring.
Chaparral Sage (Salvia clevelandii)
As in all climates, be sure to plant correctly. Dig a hole three times as wide as the root ball but no more profound than the root ball. This will allow the roots to grow outwards more quickly.
When growing native plants, you do not need to add any amendments to the hole as this can cause the roots to just stay in place, enjoying the nutrient-rich soil, instead of venturing out into the regular soil. If you do decide to add amendments to the soil, be sure to incorporate them well with the existing soil.
Newly installed plants will initially require more water than established plants, so be sure to adjust your watering schedule accordingly.
Bower Vine (Pandorea jasminoides)
So visit your local nursery and get planting!
Fall Planting: How to Select Plants
Drought Tolerant and Beautiful: Globe Mallow
Arizona garden, California desert garden, desert gardening, Drought Tolerant, Las Vegas gardening, New Mexico garden, Southwest gardenGlobe mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua) brings a unique “cottage-garden” feel to the desert plant palette along with some surprises. In spring a flush of beautiful flowers are produced that will cause people to stop in their tracks. After that, globe mallow will bloom off and on throughout the summer and fall.
This shrubby, perennial is native to the Southwestern areas of North America where it is found growing along washes and rocky slopes. They grow quickly and reach approximately 3 ft. X 3 ft. in size. Globe mallow is cold hardy to about 20 degrees F.
Drought tolerant
Although most globe mallow plants produce orange flowers, they are available in other colors including pink, purple, white, red and shades in between. At the nursery, you will usually see the orange flowered variety available. However, some growers are beginning to stock selections of globe mallow in different colors. But buyer beware; unless specially marked or blooming, you don’t know exactly what color flower you will end up with make sure if you want a certain color to check for mark.
Often, the surprise occurs after you plant them and wait to see what color the flowers will be. I bought four globe mallow, out of bloom, for my garden and ended up with one red, two pink and one white. For those who do not like surprises in the garden, you can wait and buy them in bloom in the spring.
USES: Globe mallow attracts hummingbirds as well as butterflies. They serve as a colorful backdrop for small perennials or small cacti. Consider planting with any of the following plants for a colorful desert flower garden – penstemon, desert marigold, ruellia, and blackfoot daisy. This beautiful but tough plant does best in full sun and performs well in areas with hot, reflected heat. Do not plant in shady areas as this will cause them to grow leggy.
Globe mallow do self-seed, and the seedlings can be moved and transplanted in the fall if desired. They are used frequently for re-vegetation purposes because they grow readily from seed.
MAINTENANCE: This pretty perennial is very low-maintenance. No fertilizer or amendments to the soil are required. Prune once a year to approximately 6 inches to 1 ft. after it has finished blooming in late spring/early summer, which will help to prevent them from self-seeding, maximize future blooming and minimize unproductive, woody growth. Globe mallow is not the type of plant to repeatedly shear into a formal shape. When pruning, wear gloves and long sleeves since the tiny hairs on the leaves can be irritating to some as well as an eye irritant.
Once established, globe mallow is quite drought-tolerant, but will require supplemental irrigation for the best appearance and flowering. My globe mallow plants are connected to my drip-irrigation system and do very well when watered three to four times a month, spring through fall.
ADDITIONAL FACTS: Historically, globe mallow were used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes such as treating diarrhea, sore throats, eye diseases as well as skin disorders. Their roots were used for upset stomachs and poultices were made for treating swollen joints and broken bones.
*Have you ever grown globe mallow?
Fall is Here! Time to Start Planting!
Nurse Plants and Cactus
Arizona, Cactus/Succulents, desertYoung saguaro cactus were peeking out from its bursage nurse plant.
As you walk through the desert, there are many opportunities to view some of the striking cacti and their unique shapes. What is not initially apparent, are the many examples of plants helping young cacti survive. However, if you look closely, it is all around you – desert shrubs and trees sheltering growing cacti from the harsh desert climate.
Young barrel cactus underneath a bursage nurse plant
Despite their tough, prickly appearance, cactus are quite vulnerable. Of the thousands of seeds that are released by each cactus, only a tiny fraction grow into new cactus plants. Most would not survive if it were not for “nurse plants.” These plants provide much-needed protection from the sun, cold temperatures and predators (including humans). Nurse plants also provide much needed additional moisture for the new cacti.
Mammillaria microcarpa
It is easy to walk by and not even notice the presence of the small cacti growing underneath nurse plants. Most of the year, the fishhook cactus (Mammillaria microcarpa), pictured above, are almost impossible to see. It is only in the spring when they are blooming that you can spot them.
Hedgehog cactus outgrowing it’s bursage nurse plant.
For the smaller cacti species, bursage (Ambrosia deltoidea) most often serves as the nurse plant. It also often serves as the first nurse plant for saguaro cacti.
Two young saguaro cacti outgrowing their creosote and bursage nurse plants
Creosote (Larrea tridentata), palo verde, mesquite or ironwood trees often serve as the nurse plants for larger species of cacti. As it grows larger, it requires more water and nutrients from the soil, which leaves little for the nurse plant. So frequently, the nurse plant will decline and die as you can see from the photo above.
Young buckhorn cholla emerging from its bursage nurse plant.
So next time you have the opportunity to take a walk in the desert, look around….you will most likely see examples of this unique relationship of plants helping young cactus survive.
Drought Tolerant and Beautiful: Globe Mallow