Shrubs

Wooly, tough & pollinator attractive. All Buddleja sp. are known to be butterfly attractive plants when in bloom, and this SW native one is no exception. Adaptable to low and mid-desert regions it forms a dense bush with silver pubescent foliage. The orange ball-shaped flowers appear from spring through summer. The best pruning practices are to thin plants after blooming and avoid shearing. In well-drained soil with regular, moderate watering through establishment, wooly butterfly bush will become quite drought tolerant.

Quintessential formal hedge plant. Small, bright green rounded leathery leaves help these plants stand out when used appropriately. While they can grow up to 5 ft. tall, they are more typically kept to 3 ft. or less by shearing. In low desert landscapes Boxwood requires ample water with well-drained soils and is relegated to planting in shady locations under larger trees, in courtyards, shaded entryways, or to frame in patios with an eastern exposure. However, since they are hardy to zone 6, in colder areas like Prescott, The Verde Valley, or much of the Rim country boxwoods can be planted in full sun, and make an outstanding well-behaved, tough shrub or hedge. Do shearing in spring.

Big, bright bushy color! Due to its extreme adaptable habit and seemingly unending summer color, Red Birds are one of the most popular evergreens to semi-evergreen shrubs used throughout the frost-free southwest. These are large growing shrubs they are designed with their mature size in mind. They do take some time to root in and develop fully, with heat and humidity being most beneficial. They are tolerant of nutritionally average soils but good drainage is critical. Long lacy green compound leaves cover each branch from the base to the tips, with flowers forming in summer of bright orange edged with yellow. As with other Caesalpinia sp., seed pods develop as flowers fade. Selective pruning to remove these pods will encourage more flowers. Hard annual pruning virtually to the ground can be done in Jan. to Feb. to refresh, large tired looking plants.

Hummingbird magnets. Small dark green compound leaves cover vertical growing stems with thin dark brown bark. Clusters of dark red blooms made up entirely of thread-like stamens form balls of bright color during spring into summer and fall months. Red Fairy duster are widely adaptable and extremely tough desert shrubs that resent over-fertilizing and over-watering. Designers should space them appropriately to allow them plenty of room to grow, as any shearing will permanently subvert their otherwise attractive natural upright appearance. Fairy dusters can go summer dormant, leading to some leaf drops, but in urban landscapes on irrigation systems, this is rarely a concern.

Pink frilly blooms adorn truly tough shrubs. Typically, smaller than its Baja cousin, this tough native little shrub is adaptable to many different sites and applications. Dark, green tightly arranged small compound leaves cover the short gray colored stems with main blooming occurring from late winter into early summer. Blooms are round clusters of pink to white stamens that are attractive to hummingbirds and other pollinators. Low maintenance with low water needs. As with other flowering desert shrubs, do not shear them for size or shape. Instead, selectively thin out older woody stems as needed, which is usually every 2-3 years.

A small evergreen with bright red blooms. Easy to grow and maintain, these evergreen spiky-looking shrubs are quite versatile in the landscape. Short, dense blue-green leaves form in a whirl around the stems. Bright red bottlebrush blooms form at the ends of each stem to envelope the entire plant, mostly in spring in low deserts but can push blooms sporadically in summer to fall as well. Like any Callistemon sp. plants can develop chlorosis symptoms in high pH soils. Blending some organic matter or soil sulfur at planting can help avoid issues with iron deficiencies. While they can tolerate some shade, too much shade inhibits flowering.

Dark green compact, with no thorns.  By far, the most popular version of Natal Plum is due to being thornless, but also for its compact, naturally dwarf, and slow, manageable growth habit. Dark, rich glossy green rounded to oval pointed leaves are held tight against its stems creating a virtually dense, well-behaved bush. Easily conforms to many different landscape possibilities such as foundational shrubs, low border shrubs, raised beds, or containers in full sun around patios or pools. Very clean plants with fragrant white, star-shaped blooms. They are low maintenance shrubs with plenty of heat tolerance.

Lush utilitarian shrubs with fragrant blooms. A popular landscape plants due to their durability, rich green color, and fragrant white flowers. Although they can grow quite large if unattended, they are easy to maintain at any selected height. Plants are armored with dual spines that form along stems just under the foliage. This makes them ideal candidates for home protective plants under windows, for privacy screening and for perimeter plantings away from walkways or public traffic areas. While they are drought tolerant once mature, they will grow more steadily with moderate regular watering initially in well-drained soils. White, five-petaled, fragrant flowers appear throughout the growing season. Flowers are followed by red to purple small, plum-like fruits that provide their common name.

Feathery, silver foliage with bright yellow blooms. Quintessential Australian shrub with pinnate gray leaflets they can shimmer attractively with even a slight breeze. Covered in bright yellow blooms from spring into summer followed by papery seed pods. These versatile shrubs are easy to care for, slough off low desert heat and grow rapidly with regular irrigation. Although they can take shearing and often do in commercial landscapes they can be manipulated for size and shape with minimal annual thinning and pruning. If plants are to be sheared, it is best to do this task directly after flowering to remove any unwanted seed pods.