Master Plant Descriptions

PLANT DATABASE This information is for everyone to use to promote dissemination of what we believe to be correct.
We do not grow everything on these lists all of the time but are providing information often difficult to find.
If there are any errors, please email the webmaster at the bottom of the page so that we can correct it for everyone.

Mountain Man will show you scales of plants denotes plants usually in production

Very adaptable clumping grass native to the western half of the United States. This grass has blue-gray foliage, and reaches a mature size of about 5' tall by 3' wide. Pink flower plumes appear in summer. Blue Switch Grass is tolerant of a wide range of conditions, including drought, full sun, reflected heat, or even soggy soils. This plant is also extremely cold tolerant. Bluer than Heavy Metal but not as sturdy stemmed. Selected by Roger Gettig in Wisc. More upright in western USA.

aculeata=prickly Very fast growing with sparse foliage & very long narrow leaves. Yellow flowers with orange red throats spring for month+. Very messy, thorny, weedy & shortlived. Usually found on limestone soils in areas with moisture.

Blue Palo Verde Upright, desert tree to 30' tall and wide. Will grow moderately fast with monthly irrigation. Trees bloom profusely in spring with clusters of golden-yellow blossoms. Arizona native 4000'. Can be drought or cold deciduous Blooms before microphylla. Branches form erect rounded graceful tree usually low branching.

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Little Leaf Palo Verde, Foothill Palo Verde Smaller shade tree from 10-20' tall and wide. Trees are leafless for most of the year, except following rains. Plants are very drought-tolerant, although supplemental watering during the dry season will speed up growth rate.

Sonoran Palo Verde Spectacular tree with unusual, arching growth habit. Palo Brea can reach 25' tall and wide. Form is irregular, usually with multiple trunks and wide-spreading branches. Spring clusters of yellow flowers provide seasonal interest.

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Spring visitors to southern Arizona often exclaim over the brilliant yellow flower displays of our native palo verde trees. Mark Dimmitt, a botanist at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson, improved upon nature by developing this thornless hybrid, with larger flowers and a longer bloom period. This plant is a three way cross between Parkinsonia microphyllum, Parkinsonia floridum, and Parkinsonia aculeata. This fast-growing clone has an upright growth habit, quickly reaching a mature size of 25 feet tall and wide. 'Desert Museum' has small, bright green, compound leaves and smooth lime green bark. "Palo Verde" translates to "green stick" in Spanish, describing the green bark that carries on photosynthesis when the leaves are shed during cold or drought. Masses of yellow flowers are produced from March though May, with sporadic flowering during the summer months. Hardy to 15° F. USDA Zone 8.

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Hardy, fast-growing vine that can grow until restricted. Can be used as a groundcover, espalier, or along walls and fences. Five-part foliage turns a deep red in fall with adequate chilling. Adaptable to full sun or shade, poor soils, and drought. Zone 5

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A short lived shrub native in S Texas into Mexico on various soils in well drained situations. It can be evergreen in mild winters and usually is under 5' in height. Flowers are soft pink little 'Hibiscus' flowers and open in mornings to close in the afternoon from late spring into fall. It is not long lived so some reseeding of new plants is advised.

Lady's slipper is one of the best container plants for warm climates. This striking succulent has mostly leafless, lime green stems, about ½ inch in diameter, that stand straight up, or are arched and wavy. This plant forms a clump of stems to about 2 feet tall by 3 feet wide. In the fall and spring, unusual orange-red slipper-shaped flowers appear along the stems. Hummingbirds are attracted to the flowers. Lady's slipper needs good drainage, and is extremely drought tolerant, requiring only bi-monthly irrigation, even in containers. In the hot low deserts it appreciates some filtered shade. It will tolerate full sun, although the stems can look chlorotic in extreme exposures. Lady's slipper is quite frost tender, and can suffer damage at 30° F. In addition to container plantings, it is ideal for use under desert trees. USDA Zone 10.

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Dwarf Red Fountain Grass Very useful, smaller grass for desert & drought situations, mature size of about 3' tall & wide. This fountain grass puts up pinkish-red flower plumes in the summer. Fares well in ground or container, tolerates full sun, reflected heat & drought Rarely sets seed.

Penstemon
No desert garden is complete without a few penstemons! In the spring and early summer these perennial wildflowers produce tall flower spikes ranging in color from pink to red to purple. These hardy plants thrive in our arid climate with minimal supplemental irrigation, fertilizer, or maintenance. As an added bonus, the bright tubular flowers are irresistible to hummingbirds! You probably won't notice penstemons until they bloom. Most penstemons form a dense rosette of long, narrow leaves, which hug the ground and blend into the landscape. But in the spring and summer glorious flower spikes emerge from these little mounds of foliage. Place penstemons in full sun, or under the light shade of desert trees. Plant them in well-drained soils and be careful not to over-water. There are many different species of penstemons suitable for planting here in Phoenix, and mixing several species together can produce a kaleidoscope of color. Penstemon ambiguus...Sand Penstemon Unlike most penstemons, this species is shrub-like, forming a semi-woody mound to three feet tall and wide. From May through September it is covered with masses of pale pink to white flowers. Its narrow, bright green leaves tend to drop off in the winter. In very cold locations, plants might actually freeze back to the ground, and recover in the spring. This Penstemon is especially suited for middle deserts, as it is native to elevations from 4,500 to 6,000 feet. In Albuquerque, for instance, it thrives and blooms throughout the summer months. However, it tends to rot out in the summers in the low deserts. Sand Penstemon insists on good drainage, and will not tolerate over-watering. USDA Zone 5.

Shrub like forming a semi-woody mound to 3' May thru Sept, covered with masses of pale pink to white flowers. Narrow bright green leaves tend to drop in winter. In very cold situations, might freeze back but recovers in spring. Suited to middle desert, native to elevations from 4500-6000' on sandy or gravelly soil. In Albuquerque bloom thru summer. Tends to rot out in low desert summers. Insists on good drainage and will not tolerate over-watering. Extremely drought tolerant. Zone 5.

This low, sprawling Penstemon blooms in May with 15 to 18-inch-tall spikes of large, light blue flowers. It has narrow, light green leaves. This fast-growing native of Coahuila, Mexico is hardy to 15° F, grows in full sun to part shade, and requires moderate irrigation to look its best. It can reseed in the landscape. This Penstemon is not too happy in our hot Phoenix summers, but performs well in Tucson, where the night temperatures are cooler. USDA Zone 8.

Rock Penstemon This shrub-like plant forms a small clump of deep green foliage to 2 feet tall and wide, which looks good year 'round. In the spring and summer, short spikes of rose-red flowers are produced on the branch tips. Rock Penstemon requires extremely good drainage to perform well in the landscape. It is especially happy in middle deserts, where the summer temperatures are not as intense. Del Rio is a named clone that was selected near the Texas/Mexico border for its intense flower color. USDA Zone 7.

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Will grow to 6' by 3'. Basal leaves are oblong to oval. Flower stalks have red two lipped flowers in early spring, sparsely in fall. Native in Utah into Mexico. Well drained sites full sun to part. Hummer attractors. Zone 4.

Scarlet penstemon is a medium-sized perennial that can reach about 2-3' tall and wide. Leaves are dark green, with smooth margins. Red, tubular flowers are produced from May to July. Found in New Mexico and west Texas at elevations from 7,000-9,000 feet.

This plant is long-blooming and very adaptable as well. Its large, deep pink to white or lavender flowers are lipped and have a downy haze on the buds. The variety prefers calciferous soils in open places where it grows to 2'. Blooms period lasts from April thru June. Broad leathery true green leaves. Full sun, well drained site and is drought tolerant.

Firecracker Penstemon features rich red flowers on 2-foot-tall spikes, from late February to April. The hummingbirds really love this one! Firecracker Penstemon grows along sandy washes and slopes across the southwestern U.S., from 2000 to 7000 foot elevations. USDA Zone 6.

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Thick gray green leaves 3" long and 1 1/2" wide, 1" flowers on 1-2' stalks. Found on sandy gravelly plains in eastern Arizona.

Great Plains native to 3'. Flower color ranges from white to deep purple. Not happy in the low desert but great for the colder plains states. Smooth grey green fleshy basal leaves. Summer blooming.

Scented Penstemon is native to higher elevations, from 4000-6000 feet, and is a great choice for those of you in colder areas. It has spectacular 4 to 6-foot-tall spikes of huge, light pink, fragrant flowers. USDA Zone 6. Penstemon parryi…Parry's Penstemon This is the most well-known and popular native Penstemon. Its 3-foot-tall stalks of hot pink flowers provide a glorious display of color from late February to early April. Parry's Penstemon is found from southern Arizona to northern Mexico, at elevations of 1500 to 5000 feet. USDA Zone 8.

Deep pink flowers along 3' stalk that arises from a basal rosette of foliage in late Feb. to April. Smooth dark green leaves 4" long to 1" wide. Native along washes in Southern Arizona from 1500-5000'. Tender perennial at higher elevations. Zone 8.

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Native in Arizona and New Mexico. Woody to 2' tall and wide with short needle-like foliage. Flowers are red tubes in summer. There are yellow forms also. It is a long bloomer and resembles a cushion shaped pine. Makes a great border perennial along paths or steps. It also is a hummingbird attractor. Zone 5.

Canyon Penstemon produces 3-foot-tall spikes of rose-purple flowers in the spring months. As its name suggests, Canyon Penstemon grows wild in canyons and washes across the southwestern U.S., at elevations of 2000-6000 feet. USDA Zone 5.

This shrubby perennial produces spectacular blue-purple tubular flowers on spikes, which are quite attractive to hummingbirds. Royal beard tongue can reach a mature size of about 3-4' tall and wide. Native to southern California from 2-6000'. Best planted in the fall. Spring to summer bloomer.

Rocky Mountain Penstemon is best suited for higher elevations, as it rarely blooms in the low deserts. It is native to the upland grasslands of Colorado and Wyoming. In cooler parts of Arizona, it blooms in the early summer with 2-foot-tall spikes of violet-blue flowers. USDA Zone 4.

Coral Penstemon This stunner shoots up spikes of vivid coral flowers as tall as six feet in the spring. Try combining this species with some of the smaller selections for a layered effect. Coral Penstemon occurs at elevations of 3500-5500 feet, in rocky canyons and washes of Arizona, New Mexico, and northern Mexico. USDA Zone 7.
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Hill Country Penstemon This Texas native is a recent introduction to the Arizona scene. For the past three years, Hill Country Penstemon has been one of the first species to bloom (in early February), and continues to send up flower spikes through April. It has especially large, deep rose flowers marked with colored streaks, called "guidelines", which lead hummingbirds and other pollinators to nectar stored deep inside the blossoms. With its compact form and 2' tall flowers spikes, Hill Country Penstemon makes a great foreground plant for some of the taller selections. USDA Zone 7.
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Texas rose Although this species closely resembles Coral Penstemon, its form is more compact, with spikes topping out at 4 feet in height. Its intense orange-pink flowers really stand out in the landscape. Although it is relatively "new" to Arizona's nursery trade, this Texas and Arizona native was a favorite in Europe before World War I! USDA Zone 8.

Russian Sage is native to Iran, Pakistan, Tibet and Afghanistan, but it is well adapted to our high deserts. This long-lived plant quickly attains a size of 4-5 feet tall and wide. It has fragrant, fine-textured silver-grey foliage, and produces tall sprays of blue flowers in the summer months. Bees are attracted to the blossoms. Because this introduced plant reseeds easily, spent flower spikes should be removed right away to remove developing seeds. Russian sage should be cut back hard in the fall months. It can be planted in full sun or part shade, and any well-drained soil. This plant is hardy to -20° and appears to be resistant to rabbits and deer. USDA Zone 5.

Purple Prairie Clover Native to grasslands from 3000 to 7000 feet in elevation, this perennial tolerates temper