Pomegranate is a plant rooted in ancient history and mythology. It is native to the sandy or rocky scrublands of its Iran and the Himalayas in northern India to the Mediterranean regions of Asia, Africa and Europe, where it has…
Category: Plants at a Glance
Pretty Pomegranate for an Edible Landscape
Pomegranates are pretty in a number of ways. First of all – pretty hard to decide if they are a shrub or a tree! They are either a short shrub-like tree, or maybe a tall tree-like shrub. Mature plants have…
Edible Elderberry
By Dr. Jacqueline A. Soule More clients today are asking for edible landscaping, and a number now also ask for pollinator friendly landscaping. To top it off, many want native plants, and low water options. Not to worry – there…
Repel Mosquitoes with Landscape Plants
Zika virus is the latest mosquito borne illness to garner worldwide headlines, but it is not the only one. Zika virus is transmitted by the bites of infected mosquitoes and so are many other deadly and debilitating diseases including West…
Sweet Acacia by Any Other Name Still Smells Sweet.
by Dr. Jacqueline A. Soule Our beloved sweet acacia, once know to us as Acacia farnesiana, is now considered Vachellia farnesiana. Why change a perfectly good name?! Some things are just the nature of the beast. Taxonomists change names. Highway…
Texas Sage Success
By Joe Pearl In the world of Leucophyllums, there are so many choices to be made. Which one is best for a specific location? Which one is going to become a giant plant that needs to be hacked back every…
Fire and Ice and Everything Nice
By Pete Duncombe Much attention has been given to plants from Australia over the years, but the familiar pattern of introducing popular temperate species into desert regions hasn’t always produced positive results. The reality is that species from wetter and…
A Useful Desert Broom
By Dr. Jacqueline A. Soule Landscapers often face a real challenge with customers from “Back East.” Many times customers complain that they want more “green” in their landscape. Desert broom, Baccharis sarothroides, is one option for the bright green foliage…
Oleander: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
by Joe Pearl It is about time someone came to the defense of the poor old Nerium oleander. Is it my favorite plant? No. Do I hate it? No! So why, you might ask, am I going to spend the…
The Endearing Prickly Pear
By Steve Plath Few plant types inspire more ire from the professional landscaper or the seasoned Southwest gardener than the thought of intentionally planting a prickly pear (Opuntia spp.) or cholla (Cylindropuntia spp.) in a garden. Yet not many other…