Articles » Totally Tucson: Local Plants for Low-Care Landscapes

Totally Tucson: Local Plants for Low-Care Landscapes 

 
Creating a spectacular landscape with local plants is probably nowhere easier than in Tucson.

Within the four mountain ranges that define its boundaries, the city has an amazing array of plants, from stately saguaros to colorful perennial wildflowers.

The varied forms, textures and colors can be mixed and matched to create the feel of a lush oasis or a stark, dramatic desert-scape. Tucson plants are adapted to extremes of temperature and rainfall, and are easy to maintain. Local birds, insects, and other fauna are drawn to them for food and housing. Using these plants in landscapes also helps preserve the strong sense of place which makes Tucson such a wonderful city to live in.

I define Totally Tucson plants as those which occur within the valley and mountain ranges up to 4500 feet elevation—in what could be considered the “saguaro zone.” I exclude most riparian species, however, because they fare poorly outside of moist locations. For example, cottonwoods and sycamores might grow quickly in the first few years in a landscape, but languish when they reach several years old.

In creating your landscape, focus on trees first. They are the biggest living elements and will create a framework around which other plants can be added. In a large yard, our native mesquite (Prosopis velutina) is unbeatable for its character, fast growth, and tolerance of drought and cold. Yes, the pods are a bit messy, but birds and animals love them. In a tighter space, you can get the same character, but on a smaller scale, by planting whitethorn acacia (Acacia constricta) and pruning it into a tree. Whitethorn has the added benefit of sweetly scented flowers.

Next, consider shrubs and their many uses. Desert lavender (Hyptis emoryi) and creosote (Larrea tridentata) add spicy scents to the air; desert hackberry (Celtis pallida) and quail brush (Atriplex lentiformis) are great bird havens; and chuparosa (Justicia californica) and yellowbells (Tecoma stans var. angustata) add bright flowers for much of the year. Our area is a gold mine of shrubs and these are but a few to contemplate for an attractive landscape.

In contrast, groundcovers and vines are poorly represented in our area. Perhaps the intense heat makes it too hard for plants to sprawl here. The few vines we have are small but are attractive for climbing a trellis or for winding up large shrubs. Snapdragon vine (Maurandya antirrhiniflora) and janusia (Janusia gracilis) have colorful flowers, while grape ivy (Cissus trifoliata) has interesting succulent leaves. All three are underused in our landscapes.