Water Wise Shrubs for the Southwest

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Dr. David L. Morgan

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Photo Credit: Pride of Place Plants, Inc.

Autumn sage is one of the loveliest of the native sages and can be hedged effectively.

If shrubs are an afterthought in your landscape, maybe it’s time you considered elevating these plants to a higher status. After all, shrubs give us privacy, accent our property, provide us with color, soften a view and even fend off invaders. Close your eyes a moment and consider how barren your own landscape might appear if it were shrub-less.

The key is choosing the right shrubs. Despite all the beauty they bring, these plants can become an annoyance when used incorrectly. They can conceal windows, distract from your view, fail to complement the landscape and add maintenance nightmares to your gardening chores. Perhaps worst of all, some shrubs demand regular, frequent irrigation. Just a week away from home, and you’ll return to a row of dead plants. If it’s happened to you, it’s time for some great water wise choices:

Autumn sage (Salvia greggii). Autumn sage is one of the most attractive of the Southwestern native sages. It flowers prolifically from early spring to frost in red, pink, white or coral blooms. A true sage, it’s aromatic from tip to root, and just brushing against it brings forth a pungent but pleasant smell. Autumn sage is native from the Texas Hill Country south to the Rio Grande and into Mexico, where it thrives in well-drained soils of the region. It adapts to all but the coldest regions of Texas, but where it’s not hardy it can be grown in containers and brought in for the winter. Its usual height is about 3 feet tall and wide. If it gets leggy in a semi-shade location (it does best in a mostly sunny area), you can prune it severely and it’ll flower again quickly. It’s hardy to Zone 7.

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Photo Credit: David L. Morgan

Ocotillo isn’t for every garden, but it is a strong accent plant in a Southwestern landscape.

Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens. Ocotillo is truly a plant for Southwestern gardens – but be aware, it’s not for everyone. It doesn’t shear well and should be planted as a specimen, a hedge or maybe as a substitute for a small tree. Nevertheless, it is quite a specimen. Ocotillo (pronounced o-ko-TEE-yo) has orange-red blooms on 2- to 8-inch spikes from May to July. In droughty weather, it’ll lose its tiny, 1-inch-long simple leaves, but they’ll reappear after a rain. The long stems, which can reach 25 feet high and spread 6 feet, are viciously thorned, so ocotillo makes a great security fence (and is often used as such in Mexico). This multistemmed plant is native from west Texas to California and into Mexico. It grows naturally in the well-drained soils of the region in full-sun locations, and it’s hardy to Zone 8.

Tips

In the old days, homeowners trimmed the lower portions of their shrubs so they could see any hiding snakes. It’s still a good idea today – but mostly for home security reasons: No one will try to hide where they can easily be spotted!
Many thorny plants, like firethorn, can be attractively trellised on windows to improve home security – with the added benefit of lovely flowers and fruit!

Faqs

Q: Why native grasses?
A: That’s easy: They’re low-maintenance, wonderful accent plants that look great without regular watering. These graceful beauties make terrific companions to nearly any kind of flowering plant, they cover unsightly locations quickly and have few pest problems (save some browsing animals). Grasses recover quickly and loyally return the next growing season. They also provide refuge and nesting places for birds and other wildlife. What more could you ask?

Resources

You can find more information on Salvia greggii (as well as other water wise shrubs) in our Plant Database.
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