These Bolivian native cacti are best known and recognized for their fuzzy coat of dense wooly white hairs. These are clumping cacti with 2-3 inch wide strong vertical columns that have sharp, yellow spines that protrude through their fury, sun blocking cover. In early spring, bright tubular red flowers are formed near the tops of mature columns. These are easy to grow cacti with tolerance to heat and drought as expected. Avoid overwatering, but plants can be given infrequent light waterings during the hottest summer months without issue.

Tough, small white flowering accent tree. These are an evergreen large shrub to small tree with ruffled green foliage, crepe paper white flowers, and rugged-looking bark. They grow at a slow to moderate rate to form multi-trunked or single trunk trees equally suitable for desert or tropical settings. Fuzzy flower clusters give way to oval shaped fruits that resemble large olives; hence, the common name. While moderate supplemental irrigation helps young trees to get establish more quickly, they will mature to become very drought and heat tolerant. Little to no regular maintenance is required other than raking up fallen fruits, or light annual pruning to train young trees into desired shape and structure.

Big white blooming shrubs for large landscapes. This large semi-evergreen shrub grows in wild habitats on rocky plains, alluvial flats, and mixed scrub in northern Mexico. This makes it a perfect choice for our low desert landscapes. While they have good drought tolerance and can exist with very little water once established, regular supplemental irrigation helps them bloom better and longer. Gray-green 1 in. round to oval ruffled leaves sparsely cover highly angled branches with dark brown color. White crepe paper-like blooms are borne in clusters, held high above stems and foliage making them a beacon in any landscape when in bloom, which occurs in spring and again in late summer as a response to monsoon conditions. If there is one desert landscape plant to NEVER shear, we think it is Cordia parvifolia. While they will accommodate shearing, doing so will completely ruin their unique individual angular, open character and if done too frequently, shearing can remove bud wood which prevents flowering. Landscape architects and designers should only consider using this plant if there is space on the project to do so. Like other desert shrubs, they are somewhat slow to develop and reach maturity, depending on cultural variables, however their mature size is no exaggeration. With careful and thoughtful annual pruning they can be kept at a slightly smaller size, but too often we find them planted in spaces too small to allow their attractive size and form.

Teddy Bear Cholla are multi-branched cacti made up of light green colored joints or branches that are about 2-5 in. long by about 1.5-2 in. thick. Their common name relates to each joint being covered in numerous, sharp spines that create a fuzzy, golden-brown appearance. Their highly evolved spine tips have microscopic, backward facing barbs that allow the joints to hold tight to objects, fur or flesh that happen to get too close in an adept form of physical dispersal and self-proliferation. Plant them in naturalistic designs, in well-drained soils, while taking advantage of available back-lighting opportunities. Of course, keep away from any pedestrian areas.

These are dramatic arborescent chollas that are native in southern AZ with disjunct populations in NM and TX. These large growing plants are made up of numerous joints up to 1 ft. long that are encircled with purple-gray, sharp 1 in. long spines. They bloom from spring into summer with wide ranging flower colors. Most typically flowers are golden yellow, but some populations have red, orange to deep copper colored blooms. These are durable, easy-to-grow and maintain native cacti.  Low water use in well-drained soils. Cactus wren nests can often be found safely nestled within their spiny branches.

Bright white sentinel-like blooms. These are sturdy, rhizomatous perennials that form clumps of green, vertical sword-like leaves. They appreciate organically amended soils but tolerate average alkaline soils if drainage is good. In colder locations, plants should be grown in pots for blooming summer accent plants that can easily be brought in for winter. In low deserts, plants can acclimate to full sun, but they thrive in part sun locations where they have afternoon shade. Cylindrical, scapes or flower stalks form in spring and summer with distinctive Iris blooms rising well above the foliage. These are perfect oasis accent plants, filler around pool decks or water features, or use them for north or east facing entryways, borders or mixed perennial beds the need a care-free vertical pop.

Strings of purple flowers against bright green leaves. Duranta are subtropical to tropical flowering large growing woody shrubs. With care and time, they may be pruned into small upright, multi-trunked trees. They can tolerate full sun in low deserts but require more water to maintain a healthy, lush appearance. They look their best in the afternoon shade. The branches end in many connected long racemes of purple to blue flowers. They bloom heaviest in spring but can produce blooms in flushes through the year. Blooms are followed by strings of golden yellow balled seeds responsible for their other common name Golden Dew Drops, which are just as ornamental than the flowers. Maintaining them at a smaller size is done easily by annual selective pruning directly after flowering. Our Purple Sky Flower are offered in bush form as well as staked.

These handsome golden-spine ball-shaped cacti are native to SE Mexico. They have a massive water storage capacity with the ribs becoming shallow and wider apart as the plants absorb more water. The curving, firm sharp spines are held along the ribs from the bottom becoming more numerous toward the top of the plants. Yellow camouflaged but attractive blooms form in a ringed pattern at the top of the plant in spring. These are adaptable, easy to grow sculptural plants popular with winter visitors to the low deserts. With age they have the capacity to produce offsets and multiply into large multi-clustered specimens that are quite stunning. Well-drained soils with light watering only during warmer months. Golden barrels are offered in many container sizes and as easy-to-handle field grown individual bareroot plants and clusters. Please call our sales team for details and current availability.

These are short columnar, clump forming formidable cacti covered in numerous long cloaking spines. They are native to rocky, hills, slopes, flats and wash edges either out on their own in full sun or often growing adjacent to a small nurse plant shrubs. The spines are white to golden in color with green flesh. In spring flowers are wide bright magenta pink that form near the tops of several mature cylindrical stems. Despite their prickly demeanor they are low maintenance, easy-to-grow and blend into any native landscape designs. Plant in well-drained soils with light water during the heat of the summer or while in bloom.