Tag Archive for: pink fairy duster

Valentine bush and feathery cassia beautiful winter landscape. Winter beauty in the garden.

Embracing the Desert’s Winter Palette

One of the delightful aspects of life in the Southwest is the vibrant outdoor spaces, especially during the winter season.

A Break from Landscape Critiques

For those who have been following my blog, you know I often share photos of landscape issues I encounter. But this time, the captivating winter beauty had me so enthralled that I didn’t notice any garden mistakes.

Captivating Winter Wonders

Join me in savoring the beauty of winter in the desert and perhaps find inspiration for your own landscape!

beautiful shrubs from winter beauty landscape

The Stars of the Winter Desert Garden

Valentine Bush (Eremophila maculata ‘Valentine’)

Hands down, my favorite shrub, the vibrant red Valentine Bush adds a burst of color from January through April. Even when not in bloom, its foliage remains attractive.

Golden Barrel Cacti (Echinocactus grusonii)

These sunny yellow cacti are drought-tolerant, low-maintenance, and add a cheerful touch to the garden year-round.

Large Desert Spoon (Dasylirion wheeleri)

With its spiky texture and gray-blue hue, the large desert spoon creates a captivating contrast in the landscape.

This is a great pairing of plants that I plan on using in future designs.

feathery cassia , pink fairy duster and Bursage are making winter beauty landscape

Feathery Cassia (Senna artemisioides)

Bright yellow fragrant flowers of feathery cassia (Senna artemisioides) are famous for their winter color. Nothing else brightens a dreary winter’s day as much as the color yellow. The silvery foliage of this cassia adds great color contrast and give off a silvery glow on a breezy day.

Pink Fairy Duster (Calliandra eriophylla)

In the background, you see the pink blooms of pink fairy duster (Calliandra eriophylla). Their uniquely shaped blooms look like a feather duster and hummingbirds find them irresistible. 

Bursage (Ambrosia deltoidea)

This native groundcover provides color contrast and thrives with minimal water.

pair of boulders are decorated with blue bells (Eremophila hygrophana).

This combination was well done but planted too closely together.

Blue Bells (Eremophila hygrophana)

Against the backdrop of yellow-flowering feathery cassia, a pair of boulders are decorated with blue bells (Eremophila hygrophana). These shrubs have lovely gray foliage and produce purple/blue flowers all year long.  This is a newer plant introduction getting a lot of attention. 

A golden barrel cactus offers great contrast along with a pair of agave.

 firecracker penstemon (Penstemon eatoni)

Here is one of my favorite landscapes in this particular community.  I like the combination of cacti, flowering shrubs, and perennials that create a pleasing landscape.

Firecracker Penstemon (Penstemon eatoni)

A trio of flowering firecracker penstemon (Penstemon eatoni) easily catches your eye. They are one of my favorite perennials in my own garden and flower January through April in the low desert.

another winter beauty landscape plant is firecracker penstemon

In another landscape, firecracker penstemon is used as part of a wildflower planting, backed by desert spoon and purple trailing lantana.

winter landscape and pink muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris)

Pink Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris)

Ornamental grasses add great interest to the winter landscape and pink muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris) is one of my favorites. Their burgundy plumes, which appear in fall fade to an attractive wheat color in winter. Soon, they will be pruned back to 3 inches in preparation for a new growth cycle.

Some beautiful winter landscapes

Blue Palo Verde Tree (Parkinsonia florida)

Some landscapes look attractive using a minimum amount of plants.  The key is to use a variety of different plants – not just shrubs or cacti.  In this one, a blue palo verde (Parkinsonia florida) overlooks a planting of purple trailing lantana (Lantana montevidensis) and desert spoon.  While the lantana is frost tender, the canopy of the tree provides it some protection from frost.

New Gold' lantana is beautiful in a landscape design

‘New Gold’ Lantana (Lantana ‘New Gold’)

It’s important to anchor the corners in your landscape – particularly those next to the driveway. Here is an example of how to combine plants that look great throughout the year. When warmer temps arrive  ‘New Gold’ lantana (Lantana ‘New Gold’), bursts forth with colorful blooms that last until the first frost. In winter, golden barrel cacti attract the attention and keep you from noticing the frost damaged lantana. 

little leaf (foothill) palo verde (Parkinsonia microphylla)

This street planting also attracted my attention with the row of little leaf (foothill) palo verde (Parkinsonia microphylla) trees, Valentine shrubs and purple trailing lantana. I should note that lantana doesn’t usually flower much in winter, but in mild winters, they do.

red-flowering chuparosa (Justicia californica)

Chuparosa (Justicia californica)

An almost leafless mesquite tree stands sentinel over a planting of red-flowering chuparosa (Justicia californica). This shrub has lovely green foliage and tubular flowers that drive hummingbirds crazy with delight.

Adding Cool-Season Beauties to Your Landscape

s you can see, the Southwestern landscape is filled with beauty and color, even in winter. Unfortunately, many homeowners tend to focus on plants that primarily bloom during the spring and summer months. While these choices can create stunning gardens during warmer seasons, they often leave gardens looking somewhat lackluster during the winter months.

Winter gardening in the Southwest offers a unique opportunity to infuse your landscape with captivating colors and textures, providing a visual treat even when the temperatures drop. By incorporating cool-season beauties like the vibrant Valentine Bush, cheery Golden Barrel Cacti, and the elegant Firecracker Penstemon, you can ensure that your garden remains a source of joy throughout the year.

Embracing winter-friendly plants doesn’t mean sacrificing the visual appeal of your landscape during the colder months. Instead, it allows you to celebrate the unique beauty that the winter season brings to the desert garden. So, why not take this opportunity to diversify your garden’s plant palette and create a lively and colorful outdoor space that shines year-round? By doing so, you can revel in the splendor of your Southwestern garden, no matter the season.

10 Drought-Tolerant Shrubs That Thrive in Full Sun and Reflected Heat in the Southwest

One of the most challenging situations in landscaping involves cultivating plants in areas exposed to both full sun and the unforgiving embrace of reflected heat. Reflected heat is the result of surfaces like sidewalks, walls, and patio decks absorbing daytime warmth only to radiate it back out later.

It’s easy to understand that the combination of intense sunlight and reflected heat can make it a daunting task to find plants that not only survive but also enhance these areas with their beauty.

Fortunately, there’s a selection of attractive plants ready to thrive in these sun-soaked and heat-kissed spaces.

flowering_pink_fairy_duster_Calliandra_eriophylla

1. Pink Fairy Duster (Calliandra eriophylla)

Native to the desert Southwest and northern Mexico, Pink Fairy Duster boasts airy foliage that transforms in spring with pink, feather duster-like flowers. These blossoms not only please the eye but also attract hummingbirds. While it can survive on natural rainfall, deep watering once a month in spring and fall and twice a month in summer enhances its appearance and flower production.

2. Feathery Cassia (Senna artemisioides, formerly Cassia artemisioides)

Hailing from the arid regions of Australia, Feathery Cassia presents fragrant yellow flowers against finely textured gray-green leaves in late winter and early spring. Its foliage adds a gentle green contrast to the landscape when not in bloom. The plant’s resilience to reflected sun and light shade makes it a versatile choice.

Chuparosa (Justicia californica)

3. Beloperone (Justicia californica)

A native of the Sonoran Desert, Beloperone or Chuparosa, graces your landscape with red trumpet-shaped flowers in winter. Its bright green heart-shaped foliage offers a visually refreshing element to your garden, although it may be absent during drought periods. Beloperone is a favorite of hummingbirds, providing them with nectar during lean blooming times.

Little Leaf Cordia

4. Little-Leaf Cordia (Cordia parvifolia)

Native to the Mexican desert regions, including Baja, Chihuahua, and Sonora, Little-Leaf Cordia offers papery white flowers that complement other colors in your landscape. Despite its delicate appearance, this shrub is robust and can withstand heat, sun, and drought, making it an excellent choice for low-maintenance gardens.

Texas Ranger Leucophyllum frutescens

5. Texas Ranger (Leucophyllum frutescens)

Commonly known as the barometer bush, Texas Ranger bursts into purple blooms during periods of increased humidity following rain. Its gray foliage, covered with tiny hairs, reflects sunlight and has a velvety texture. Texas Ranger’s beauty shines when it’s allowed to grow naturally rather than being pruned into formal shapes.

Jojoba green plant with fruits on a farm

6. Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis)

Jojoba, native to desert regions in Arizona, California, Baja, and Sonora, stands out for its evergreen foliage. The leaves are covered in a waxy coating that helps it withstand heat and reflected sunlight. Its vertically arranged leaves protect it from direct sun exposure, making it a hardy and versatile choice.

yellow bird of paradise

7. Yellow Bird-of-Paradise (Caesalpinia gilliesii)

Native to South America, primarily Argentina and Uruguay, Yellow Bird-of-Paradise offers finely textured foliage and large yellow flowers with red stamens, adding color to sunny garden areas. It thrives in hot temperatures and can withstand both extreme heat and occasional frost.

bougainvillea in container

8. Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spp.)

Bougainvillea graces your garden with vibrant colors during spring, with bracts surrounding tiny cream flowers. Its lush green foliage conceals thorns and thrives in areas with full sun and reflected heat. Proper irrigation includes deep watering followed by drying out before the next watering. These shrubs do great in containers as well.

gold lantana

9. ‘New Gold’ Lantana (Lantana ‘New Gold’)

Butterflies are attracted to ‘New Gold’ Lantana’s golden yellow flowers, covering bright green foliage from spring through fall. With its low growth habit, this shrub adds color to your garden’s lower sections. While typically grown in zones 9 to 11, it can survive winters down to Zone 8.

Natal Plum

10. Natal Plum (Carissa macrocarpa)

With dark green leaves, Natal Plum offers an alternative to boxwood in intensely sunny locations. It produces white star-shaped flowers with a jasmine and orange blossom fragrance in spring. This South African native comes in various sizes, making it suitable for different sunny areas. Note that the sap of Natal Plum can irritate the skin, and the plant has thorns.

The above 10 shrubs are fantastic examples of plants that can handle full sun as well as reflected warmth. All the shrubs need consistent irrigation, but strong drainage.

Do you have a plant that you like that does well in full, reflected sun?

**For additional shrub suggestions, I recommend Mary Irish’s book, Trees and Shrubs for the Southwest.

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