A low water use yard using dry climate landscaping plants native to the Tucson area, has great potential for showing off the desert’s bounty of interesting species.
For trees, the blue palo verde (Parkinsonia floridum), with its green bark and spectacular spring yellow flower display, is a landscape favorite. The desert willow (Chilopsis linearis) blooms in the summer with pink to maroon flowers, depending on the variety. Both grow to about 25 feet tall and wide.
For shrubs, include the wildlife magnet desert hackberry (Celtis pallida), with its red berries relished by birds. Since it is thorny, place on the edges of your yard. Alternatively, they make a good home defense against intruders. A small shrub, hoary mint (Poliomintha incana), has light gray-green leaves that smell like mint. The creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) is under utilized, but greatly appreciated by desert dwellers for the heavenly smell after a summer rain.
For seasonal color, skip high maintenance bedding plants and go with native wildflowers. The following species are appropriate for Tucson and Green Valley: Golden dyssoida has yellow, daisy-like flowers all summer. Arroyo lupine’s violet-blue flowers give a spring show. Owl’s clover has rosy-pink to purple spiky flowers appearing in the early spring, and desert bluebell’s true blue flowers also bloom in the spring. Desert marigold has sunny yellow flowers mostly in the spring, but off and on until winter.
Wildflowers in the desert should be planted in the fall, as they are geared to germinate with winter rains. To protect from birds, you may need to cover the seeded area until they germinate.
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