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Tour: Desert Shade

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Combining Shapes and Sizes
Baja Fairy Duster
Brittlebush
Green Desert Spoon or Sotol
Baja Fairy Duster

Common name:Baja Fairy Duster
Botanical name:Calliandra californica

Baja fairy duster grows to about 5' x 5'. Plants are evergreen in climates without frost. Red powderpuff blooms are most abundant in spring, but continue into fall. Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. Good as an informal hedge. May be sold as Calliandra peninsularis.

Brittlebush

Common name:Brittlebush
Botanical name:Encelia farinosa

Silvery gray mounding shrub grows to 3' x 4'. Yellow daisylike flowers appear winter to spring. Short lived individual plants but will reseed easily. Good for naturalistic landscapes. Rapid growth following rain. Overgrown and fragile if overwatered. Seeds attract birds. Native to Sonoran & Mojave deserts.

Green Desert Spoon or Sotol

Common name:Green Desert Spoon or Sotol
Botanical name:Dasylirion acrotriche

Durable accent, Full sun, Tolerates reflected heat. Develops short, thick trunk while reaching mature size 6' tall by 5' wide. Give room, as spiny leaf margins are sharp. Resembles D. wheeleri but acid green and faster. Bloom stalk to 10' The leaves terminate into a wisp of fingers. Native in north central Mexico.

Designer: Cesar Mazier

Combining Shapes and Sizes
Image: 14 of 15

Photographer: GardenSoft

Water Saving Tip:

Adjust sprinklers to avoid watering sidewalks and driveways.