Types of Desert Landscaping Plants
Desert Landscaping Plants Are Easy to Grow
Some believe that you can only have types of desert landscaping plants if you live in the warm and dry southwestern part of the U.S. But they can also thrive in the high deserts of the Pacific Northwest and in most humid tropical areas.
The Yucca tree grows tall and produces a beautiful flower. Other cacti with their menacing spines can be very intimidating, but will also flower during certain times of the year. Due to their spiny thorns, surrounding your yard with them can act as a security fence.
A desert landscape can be very striking but there may be areas of the yard that are in the shade all day and will require the use of landscape shade plants. By visiting your local garden shop you will find the many varieties that do will in your particular climate.
Regarding some of the desert landscaping plants and landscape shade plants, we wanted to provide you with some excellent options that you might consider. Those listed below are just a few samples of the hundreds of possibilities.
The Opuntia Robusta, this is a very, very impressive plant. Commonly called "Dinner Plate Cactus" due to the huge size the round and flat leaves can grow to. We sometimes get these growing upwards of 16 inches across!
Desert Spoon: This particular plant does best in arid climates and was at one time, used for fiber and food by Native Americans. The plant will grow between five and eight feet high and depending on the exact species, some will produce a bloom topped with red, long plumes that complement the gray green foliage.
The Agave or "century plant," so named due to the flower stalk that is said to only bloom every one hundred years. In reality, the flower stalk appears at the end of its life, which can be as long as twenty to thirty five years. It has been used for ropes with the fiber, some for tequila, and baked and eaten.
Desert Landscape Shade Plants
The Astilbe, which is also called "Feather Flower," grows well in the shade and lots of moisture. Because of its feather like flower it complements a cactus or desert garden nicely. The flowers can bloom from early spring to late summer and come in white, ivory purple, pink or red.
The hosta plant is another great shade plant. The large variety available range from some with variegated leaves, solid green, gold or bluish green. They are perennials, returning each year larger than the last.
Liriope Spicata: Another excellent shade plant, this one appears like grass, which is why it is more often referred to as border grass. The flowers are spiked in shape and while in bloom the color changes from white to purple then in the fall, a dark berry grows.
Foxglove: Known more commonly as day lilies, these plants grow extremely well in shade and sun, producing long stems that grow exotic looking flowers of varying colors depending on the species but keep in mind, Foxglove is poisonous so you want to keep it out of reach of pets and smaller children.
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