Cheryl Bisceglia
After the heat and storms of the summer, you may have space for new plants. As you consider options, please consider how to provide the most benefit to the larger community and environment. Native plants are generally under-represented in communities like ours. Landscapers tend to focus on plants that are common, inexpensive, and will easily live longer than the one-year warranty.
A plant is native if it has occurred naturally for thousands of years in a region, ecosystem, or habitat without human introduction. These plants have formed symbiotic relationships with native wildlife over thousands of years, meaning that many native animals are dependent on these species to survive. Native plants support wildlife and in turn support human life.
Specific benefits:
* They are the foundation of the entire food web that all animal life relies on.
* They are essential host plants for many important insects, including the caterpillars of butterflies and moths.
* Ability to thrive in the soils, moisture, and weather of your region, which means less supplemental watering and fertilizing.
* Often have deeper root systems which help reduce watering needs, manage rainwater runoff, and maintain a healthy soil structure.
* Can pull carbon from the atmosphere and store it in the soil, making it available for use.
* Are less prone to pest problems that may require toxic chemicals to manage.
* Support birds, pollinators, and other wildlife that are under increasing stress from climate change.
Also, native plants provide a sense of place that ties our gardens to the unique regional natural history of the land where we live and honors the importance of these species in Indigenous culture.
Here is a list of very common landscape plants that are not native to the Sonoran Desert.
* Chaste Tree (Vitex Agnus-Castus)
* Lantana
* Oleander
* Texas Sage
* Bougainvillea
* Emu shrub (Eremophila)
* Firestick (Euphorbia Tirucalli)
* Natal Plum (Carissa Macrocarpa)
* Red Mexican Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima)
* Yellow Mexican Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia Mexicana)
Many non-natives provide some pollinator benefits, and it’s up to you to research your plant choices. It can be difficult to completely avoid non-native plants, but please consider filling your next empty space with a native plant.
If you would like to learn more, a great free online resource is The Arizona Native Plant Society. Their plant database is easy to use and comprehensive. You can search by various criteria, type of plant, sun exposure, water usage, pollinators:
aznps.com/the-plant-list
As you search and consider options, please note details including size, and temperature and elevation requirements. As always, make sure the ALC approves any new plantings.
If reading this article has put you in the mood for some plant shopping, they have an extensive list of nurseries to browse either online or in person:
aznps.com/native-landscaping-partners
We are the PebbleCreek Garden Club. Our Mission is to expand interest in gardening for all skill levels, increase knowledge of growing in the desert to improve our environment, participate in social activities, and give back to our community.