Menu

Hotlinks:

Gallery: Back Yards

Add
Shrubs and Cacti
Brittlebush
Purple prickly pear
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.

Purple prickly pear

Common name:Purple prickly pear
Botanical name:Opuntia santa-rita

Shrublike cactus grows at a moderate rate to 4' x 5'. Pads are green-purple turning more purple with cold or dry weather. Small tan spines line the pads. Striking yellow flowers appear on the tips of pads in the spring. Accepts reflected heat. Native to the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts.

Designer: Mark and Alllison Ponticelli

Shrubs and Cacti
Image: 12 of 30

Photographer: GardenSoft

Water Saving Tip:

Mulching and adding compost to soil can minimize evaporation and help soil absorb and store water.