Common name:Orange Sedum
Botanical name:Sedum nussbaumeranian
This succulent perennial will grow best in a wall pot or hanging basket due to its long stems. It has light, gray green leaves that grow over one another to give off a "braided" look. The flowers are pink to deep red and bloom in spring and summer.
Common name:Golden Oregano
Botanical name:Origanum vulgare 'Aureum'
This attractive perennial is used as a ground cover since it reaches 1' high and spreads 1.5'. This plant prefers full sun in mild climates but will appreciate afternoon shade in hot summer areas. It does best in well draining, dry, sandy soil. This is the oregano herb plant with yellow green, aromatic, oval leaves. Tiny, pink/purple flowers rise above the foliage in summer on spikes but are considered insignificant. Leaves have culinary uses.
Common name:Moroccan Mound
Botanical name:Euphorbia resinifera
This succulent grows to 24" tall, forming multi-stemmed, cushion-shaped clumps up to 4-6' wide. The stems are erect, succulent, superficially like a cactus, four-angled, with short but sharp pairs of 0.24" spines on the angles, very closely packed together. It does best in full sun and afternoon shade in desert areas. In coastal areas, it needs very little water. In inland valleys, it does best with supplemental watering in summer. Soil must be well draining. It tolerates alkaline and saline soils. Flowering is rare. This plant is leafless. It exudes a milky white sap called latex when cut; this is poisonous.
Common name:Cushion Bush
Botanical name:Leucophyta brownii
Cushion Bush is a low mounding shrub that grows 1-3' tall and 2-3' wide. It has tiny, narrow, silver green foliage that makes it an outstanding accent plant. Tiny yellow flowers appear on the end of the stems in spring and summer. This plant does well in full to part sun with minimal water. It tolerates coastal and windy conditions well. If regularly pruned, this shrub will maintain its density and longevity. It does best in well draining soil. Be careful not to overwater.
Common name:Mescal Agave
Botanical name:Agave parryi
A tight medium sized rosette sometimes solitary, sometimes with offsets. The leaves can vary much in size and color. The flower spike is up to 20' in height with bright yellow and red buds in mid summer. Native in central and southern Arizona into New Mexico at 1000-8000'. One of the most cold hardy. Full sun or part shade but needs good drainage. Heavily toothed rosettes.
Common name:Magenta Magic Spanish Bayonet
Botanical name:Yucca aloifolia 'Magenta Magic'
Spiky upright lustrous mauve leaves make a dramatic garden statement! Reaching only 2-3’ tall and wide, this accidental sport of Yucca ‘Blue Boy’ is a natural dwarf variety with dark evergreen foliage that deepen to purplish mauve in cooler temperatures. 2-3’ tall spikes of white nodding flowers shoot above the foliage in late Winter on mature plants. Berries follow, much loved by birds, but ignored by deer. Tough and durable, it can take heat, dry conditions and a fair amount of neglect. Makes a dramatic statement when planted en masse and combines well with other dry garden denizens. An excellent container plant. Plant in well-drained soil.
Designer: Cricket Riley
Photographer: Vicki Anderson
Practice grass-cycling by leaving short grass clippings on lawns after mowing, so that nutrients and organic matter are returned to the soil.
Develop healthy soil for plants that are vigorous and naturally pest-resistant.