Shrubs

Durable, low bright flowered shrubs. Autumn sage blooms best during the later part of the year. Woody, small growing shrubs have bright to dark green round leaves that make the plant look soft and herbaceous. Flowers are borne on spires above the foliage. Many different cultivars or selections exist that have been primarily selected for specific flower colors. Offerings include standard magenta pink, red, white, coral and purple. (Although purple flowered types are most often a different species) In their natural habitat, these plants occur under the dripline of larger evergreen shrubs or trees like mesquite or Acacia sp. where they’re happy with filtered light or dappled shade. In low deserts they can tolerate full sun exposure, but they are no longer considered low-water use plants in hell-strip environments. They must be watered well if they are fully exposed, especially in summer in low deserts. Branches are brittle, so be gentle planting and when doing light pruning in late winter to early spring.

Tough, woody evergreen native shrubs. Jojobas are the Sonoran Desert native durable woody shrubs. Their leathery, olive green leaves are consistently pointed ovals, softer when new becoming thicker as they mature. They are not native to China as their species name suggests. Plants are dioecious, meaning male and female plants are separate. The flowers on either are not impressive but properly cross-pollinated female flowers form drooping, acorn-like pods that contain the seed, which is prized for its oil. These woody slow growing plants prefer full hot sun, but immature plants will accept some shade from nurse plants in the wild. Like other native shrubs, well-drained soil is important for their establishment and longevity. They work well with any other native, drought tolerant plants for foundations, accents, or informal hedges. They are clean and considered very low maintenance. Please give them adequate space to grow, as they lose much of their natural appeal when they are sheared into geometric shapes, as most native or drought adaptable shrubs do.

Gray-green floriferous perennial shrubs. Triangular gray-green pubescent foliage grows on vertical stems from basal woody clumps. Wild native plants are summer deciduous, in urban landscapes plants are evergreen, but can be shorter lived. In spring to summer bright orange 1 in. mallow blooms occur on 2/3 of every stem making a bright and striking flower display. They require water to get established but can eventually exist on rainfall alone but will go dormant during the heat of low desert summers unless they are provided periodic water. Globe mallow shows up in mixed grasslands, rocky slopes, washes, and roadsides in association with virtually every other type of native plant. They work well as flowering accent plants with ocotillos, cacti, yuccas and Agave sp. Since they establish and grow fast, planting them periodically year to year will ensure some will always be there blooming if some do peter out.

Bird-like blooms above tropical foliage. Succulent stems and paddle-shaped leaves grow from a trunkless base to form evergreen vase-shaped accent plants. Plants are moderate to slow growing but long-lived. They bloom mostly in winter to spring in low deserts, but they can produce blooms periodically throughout the year. Orange flowers with some blue and white accents look like tropical birds or bird beaks that rise on round green stalks above the foliage. Plants perform best with morning sun and afternoon shade with ample supplemental water during summers. They do require protection from frosts. These tropical plants work well around pools and patios in-ground or in large containers. Either way the bloom best from becoming a bit root bound. Plant them with other tropical looking plants like Hibiscus, Palms, Canna lily or Tecoma sp.

Colorful evergreen large shrubs. These easy-to-grow and long-blooming shrubs are useful as evergreen hedges, vines, screens, or small ornamental trees. They are upright growing woody perennial plants with glossy, dark green small leaves, and clusters of tubular bright orange blooms. Like other blooming shrubs, they offer the most flowers when planted in full sun, but they will grow well with some shade. They thrive in heat, but do prefer good drainage. Protect from frosts. If the foliage gets nipped by a cold snap, they will recover quickly after any damaged foliage is pruned off. Offered in bush form, staked and as trellised espalier. Please call our sales team for current availability.

Big bouquets of bright yellow trumpet blooms. Big, dark green serrated leaves cover these large billowy evergreens to semi-evergreen shrubs. In spring to summer they are also covered with large panicles of bright, sunny yellow clustered trumpet shaped flowers. Pollinated flowers form large clusters of long narrow green-bean like ornamental pods, that can be trimmed off as they dry. Due to their size and vigor, plants should be given periodic deep watering to keep them happy and blooming during summer. In
winter, plants can go semi-dormant dropping leaves which is the best time to do pruning for size and shape. These shrubs lend themselves to being planted as informal hedge rows, individual specimens or trained into small multi-trunked trees or onto trellis for a flowering wall cover. They are easy to grow and very forgiving plants. Offered in bush form, as patio trees, or trained on trellis as espalier.

Large panicles of big orange flowers on evergreen shrubs. This is a large, rapidly growing shrub with an upright habit. Bright green serrated leaves on light colored stems can grow up to 10 ft. tall, but can be pruned for a more manageable size. If allowed to grow, they are easily trained into small, multi-trunked tree shapes or they can be trained as espaliers on a fence or trellis. Since the flowers are sterile they bloom nearly all year long, and are only halted by cool temperatures during winter months, when they can also drop some foliage. This is the best time to cut them back if necessary. Moderate, regular watering for the first season or two will help them get established, then regular summer irrigation to keep them growing and blooming well. They can be used for informal privacy screens, flowering hedges, or solitary accent plants. We offer ‘Orange Jubilee’ in bush form, staked or as trellised espalier. Please call our sales team for current availability.

Red bell-shaped blooms all season. This well-behaved and floriferous hybrid was created by plantsman and ASU professor George Hull several years ago. The resulting hybrid is this darkest flowered selection of Tecoma yet, with red to dark orange trumpet shaped blooms. This selection is nearly self-sterile with the result being almost constant blooming. The plants, like other Tecomas, are semi-evergreen, only dropping some leaves during the coldest weather of the year. Plants can be pruned or deadheaded at this time. This selection has a relatively compact growth habit and are much tidier than others, although with their floriferous nature causes them to be dropping blooms constantly, which most people find as an acceptable trade-off to all the flowers. Hummingbirds and bees are attracted to their flowers.

Big, yellow with orange ringed bell-shaped blooms all season. ‘Sparky’ is a well-behaved and floriferous hybrid Tecoma created by plantsman and ASU professor George Hull in honor of ASU mascot of the same name. This is fast becoming one the most popular hybrids our friend George ever created and for good reason. The compact plant has large, dark green recurved foliage and they bloom almost constantly due to the flowers being self-sterile. The striking big, trumpet-shaped golden blooms have a distinctive dark orange ringed throat. Bright and colorful plants have good resistance to cold, although they can drop some leaves during coldest winter months as other Tecomas do. Use these durable long-blooming shrubs for colorful accent plants, or in mass for any foundational shrub. They blend well with other native plants, bold accents, or flowering perennials. They are also great candidates for patio or poolside containers or anywhere else you want a pop of reliable color. Even in Wildcat country!