Euphorbia, Firesticks

 

Features

• Deadheading Not Necessary
• Drought Tolerant *
• Foliage Interest
• Heat Tolerant
• Low Maintenance

*Even drought tolerant annual and perennial plants will need water for the first few weeks while they get established. Shrubs and trees will need to be watered for the first year after they are planted. After this, little or no supplemental water will be necessary when planted in the ground. No plant is truly drought tolerant in a container; water is necessary for all plants in containers.

Ornamental Characteristics

Foliage Color:

Multicolored

Garden Height:

24 - 36"; Medium

Spacing:

18 - 24"

Habit:

Upright

Container Plant Style:

Filler - Intermingles well with other plants to fill in the middle ground of a combination

Plant Needs

Duration:

Annual

Bloom Time:

Grown for Foliage

Zones:

Annual except in zones 9 - 11

What is my zone?

Hardy Temp:

25°F (-4°C)

Exposure:

Part Sun to Sun

Water Needs:

Dry

Maintenance:

Easy

Uses:

Landscapes and containers

Great in landscapes and containers.

Patent Information

Growing Tips

Plants in the spurge family often will bleed a milky, white sap if cut or wounded. This sap is a form of latex. Most people will have little or no reaction due to sap exposure from the euphorbia that Proven Winners sells. However, people with sensitive skin or latex allergies should be cautious when handling euphorbia. Poinsettias are in this same family. If you have ever experienced a skin irritation due to contact with poinsettias you should be cautious with all euphorbia.

Golden Barrel Clusters

Echinocactus grusonii
Despite being one of the most popular cacti in cultivation, it is rare and critically endangered in the wild.
Growing as a large roughly spherical globe, it may eventually reach over a meter in height after many years. There may be up to 35 pronounced ribs in mature plants, though they are not evident in young plants, which may have a knobbly appearance. Note: Younger Golden Barrels do not look similar to the mature ones. The sharp spines are long, straight or slightly curved, and various shades of yellow or, occasionally, white. Small yellow flowers appear in summer around the crown of the plant, but only after twenty years or so.

While easy to grow, these plants do have some basic requirements; an average minimum, winter temperature of 12°C, good drainage with less watering in winter. Excess water in cool periods may lead to rot. Golden Barrels are hardy to about 15ºF (-8ºC) for brief periods.

Moroccan Mound - Euphorbia resinifera

Euphorbia resinifera (Moroccan Mound) -
 A mounding succulent to 1 to 2 feet tall by 4 to 6 feet wide with upright pale blue-green leafless 4-sided column-like stems that have brown spines on the margins and near the rounded tip that also bear small yellow flowers late winter to early spring. The stems are crowded together tightly to form a solid mass. Plant in a draining soil - even clay if on a slope in full sun or with afternoon shade in desert gardens. Irrigate occasionally to little in coastal gardens, a bit more inland spring through summer. Hardy to 20°F. This easy to grow and hardy succulent plant is native to Morocco, where it occurs on the slopes of the Atlas Mountains. It has been grown in California gardens for many years with older clumps forming masses that cover many square feet. Evidence of its long cultivation here is its listing in "Cacti and Other Succulents: An Annotated List of Plants Cultivated in Santa Barbara" that was edited by Pearl Chase and published in 1930. Other common names include Officinal Spurge and Resin Spurge, owing to this plant being one of the oldest documented medicinal plants with the extracted latex, called Euphorbium, being used for many purposes. The name Euphorbia was noted by Pliny the Elder as being a reference to Euphorbus, the physician of King Juba II of Numidia. The description above is based on our research of Euphorbia resinifera and observations of it growing in our nursery, in our own garden and in other gardens

Habit and Cultural Information

Category: Succulent Family: Euphorbiaceae (Spurges) Origin: Morocco (Africa) Evergreen: Yes Flower Color: Yellow Bloomtime: Winter/Spring Height: 1-2 feet Width: 4-6 feet Exposure: Full Sun Irrigation: Low Water Needs Winter Hardiness: 20-25° F May be Poisonous

Argentine Giant

Echinopsis candicans, Cactus Family ( Cactaceae ), Argentine Giant Cactus. Also called .
A columnar cactus with each stem fast growing up to 4 inches wide, 3 feet tall, and clumping 6 - 7 feet wide. Most books say that they only clump to about 3 feet but as you can see from the top photo, the plants can spread to about 7 feet.
It's fragrant blooms normally open at night and persist until early morning. The bright white petals and yellow centers attract night pollinators such as, moths and bats.
While it is said to be a nocturnal blooming cactus with the flowers closing at early morning. On cool, cloudy days in Arizona; the flowers continue blooming during the day.
Echinopsis candicans is low water use, but that does not mean it requires no water. It prefers deep infrequent irrigation and well-draining soil.

Height: Height to about 3 feet. Spreading to about 7 feet.
Flowers: White  some are YELLOW very fragrant, up to 8 inches in diameter.
Blooming Time: March - April.
Segments: Green stems are stems 3 or 4 inches thick.
Fruit: Purple, with a red pulp.
Elevation: 0 - 2,800 Feet.
Habitat: Sandy flats. Full Sun. A Xeriscape Landscape plant. Native to Argentina.

Bougainvillea Brazillensis

The Bougainvilleas are very common plants in the Phoenix area. Most varieties are hybrids between B glabra and B. spectabilis.

Bougainvillea brasiliensis is a name with no botanical validity.

Cultural Practices:


The bougainvillea root system is extremely fragile. The plant doesn't like to be moved. Take extra caution when removing the plant from the pot before placing it in the ground.


Blooms year around in protected locations.


Propagation:
Cuttings from mid-winter to early spring, keep soil mixture moist, better with bottom heat.

Mexican Bird of Paradise

Mexican Bird of Paradise is native to Northern Mexico. Its lush, ferny compound leaves provide a dark green backdrop for the bright yellow flower spikes that appear on the branch tips during the warm season. These flowers are followed by woody pods, which "explode" as they mature, adding a little bit of natural music the outdoor environment. This plant grows fairly rapidly 10-15 feet tall and spreads to 15 feet wide. The Mexican bird of paradise can be grown as a small tree or pruned to keep it a shrub.




Maintenance

Plant Mexican bird of paradise in the fall in full sunlight exposures for best establishment. This large shrub is evergreen in mild climates, but where frost occurs, it will shed foliage. Although extremely tolerant of sun and reflected heat, it requires good drainage to thrive. Established Mexican bird of paradise plants require little water. Mature plants may reach a height of 15 feet tall. Regular pruning will help control size.

Eve's Needle, Opunia Subulata, Cane Cholla

Recommended Temperature Zone:


sunset: 11-13

USDA: 9-10
Frost Tolerance: Hardy in Phoenix
Minimum Avg. Temperature: 50°F (10°C)
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Origin: High elevations in Ecuador and Peru, 8000 to 12000 feet (2400 to 3600 m)
Growth Habits: Tree-like cactus, up to 13 feet tall (4 m), 10 feet in diameter (3 m); stems up to 20 inches long (50 cm); awl like leaves, up to 5 inches long (12 cm); 1 to 4 spines, up to 3.2 inches long (8 cm);

Watering Needs: Little water
Propagation: Cuttings
Blooming Habits:


Red flowers, up to 2.4 inches long (6 cm)

Prickly Pear, Opuntia violaceae santa rita

Form: large clump-forming segmented cactus


Seasonality: evergreen

Size: 2-5ft with equal or greater spread

Leaves: flat round pads, to 8in long; new growth is reddish or purply, mature pads off-green; in fall all pads may be purple; aeroles evenly spaced about 1in apart; spines usually absent on face but found along perimeter of pads; numerous yellow, fuzzy-looking glochids are dangerous (see notes)


Flowers: orangy yellow, 3.5in diameter, along edge of pads

Fruit: oblong, purplish, plump, 1in tall 1/2in in diameter; smaller than O. engelmannii

Stems/Trunks: generally not trunk forming; usual form is mounded

Range/Origin: Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and Sonora Mexico; elevations of 2000-4000ft

Hardiness: mid to low teens
 
LANDSCAPE VALUE:




accent

silhouette

CULTURAL REQUIREMENTS:

Exposure: full sun

Water: none, usually okay on natural rainfall; gauge water needs by monitoring pads for signs of shriveling, may need supplemental water in long periods of drought

Soil: tolerant, good drainage

Propagation: vegetatively, using single pads or larger segments; allow time for callusing of cut end

Maintenance: minimal

NOTES:



icon of the desert southwest


The reddish brown glochids of Opuntia violaceae are very loosely attached and fly off when the plant is handle. The loose glochids are an irritant, and can get under clothing, in eyes, and may even be a breathing hazard. For safe handling, wet specimens before moving. The water weighs down the glochids, preventing them from becoming airborne.

Dwarf Myoporum (ground cover)

not the best photo

More information
HERE
may die if over watered!

Cape Honeysuckle

Chuparosa

More Information
HERE

Native to the Sonoran Desert, "chuparosa" is a shrub that normally grows to about 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide. Under ideal contitions, it can grow to 4 feet tall and 6 feet wide. Leaves are semi-succulent and measure about 1 inch long. Tubular flowers are nearly 1.5 inches long. Red is the most common flower color with yellow or orange variations less common. Chuparosa attracts hummingbirds and blooms through the long, mild winters in Southern Arizona.

Plant chuparosa in the fall or spring in fast-draining soil. This shrub is drought tolerant and can grow on 10 inches or less of annual rainfall. The foliage will be sparse, unless chuparosa is given periodic water in the summer and during the growing season. Growth rate is moderate to fast, depending on the amount of supplemental water applied. It should be watered monthly or just often enough to prevent wilting. Prune chuparosa in the spring to remove winter-damaged stems and rejuvenate the plant.

Valentine Bush

not a very good photo

More information

HERE

Eremophila Maculata Valentine or Emu Bush

Chilean Mesquite Tree

1 in the backyard

Native to arid and subtropical regions of South America, the Chilean Mesquite tree grows either singly or multi-trunked. Trunks are twisted with dark, coarse textured bark. Upright grower with a wide crown and flat top. Drought tolerant, and grows fast with supplemental water to 30 feet tall. Relatively inconspicuous yellow-green, catkin-like flowers appear in the spring. Some varieties of this tree have thorns, some don't. Chilean mesquite trees tend not to lose as many leaves during the winter as the Argentine mesquite. Edible seedpods that are 3-5 inches long ripen and drop in the summer months.

Plant Chilean mesquite tree in full sun. Drip irrigation during the first year after planting, with little to no supplemental irrigations needed after establishment. It will require vigorous pruning to shape when young. Chilean mesquite tree produces frequent crossed branches and grows sprouts around pruning wounds. Attempts to train this tree into a symmetrical, standard shape will be impossible. Falling seedpods (beans) may create a litter problem in high traffic areas.

More information

HERE

Limit water to control rapid growth and windstorm uprooting.

Palo Brea Tree

2 planted in front yard

More information
HERE
and
HERE

Green Cloud Sage

More information
HERE

1 in front yard

CHIHUAHUAN RAIN SAGE

More information
HERE

Leucophyllum laevigatum
3 in front yard

Britton's Ruellia

Britton's Ruellia

more information

HERE

5 in front yard

Baja Fairy Duster

Calliandra californica

More information

HERE

planted in large clump, backyard corner

Red Bird of Paradise

The Mexican Bird of Paradise (RED)

Caesalpinia pulcherrima

More information

HERE

switching to desert landscape ideas

. . . and now . . . above, i will be posting
photos and information about
Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert

a guide to growing more plants that are Low-Water-Use Plants.

Corkscrew Willow

Corkscrew Willow Tree [Salix matsudana "Tortuosa"]

The Corkscrew Willow has a twisted and curled branch structure which make it as interesting in the Winter as it is in the Spring. Corkscrew Willows grow to 30' in height and grows quite rapidly. Corkscrew Willow Trees are very adaptable to poorly drained soil and will withstand both full-sun exposure and partial shade. The branch structure forks vertically close to the trunk giving the Corkscrew Willow a shrub like appearance at early stages of development.

Blue Flax

Fast-growing Blue Flax is easy to please, likes sun or shade, adapts to soil. Pretty blue flowers open on 18- to 24-in. stems with blue-green lancelike foliage. Blooms May-July.
Zones 4-9.

Crape Myrtle - Hardy Tonto

Tougher than its refined Southern cousin but every bit as beautiful. Tolerates subzero temps, consistently produces loads of sweet flowers. Leaves turn scarlet in fall. Grows just 7-10 feet tall with a rounded top. Red-tinged, gray-barked branches are heavy with blooms from mid to late summer.

Bleeding Heart - Old Fashioned, Pink

Mulch during the first winter. Foliage may die back after flowering in July or Aug. May die back after flowering to resume growth the following spring. Keep well watered during dry periods in the summer. Will not tolerate wet soils. To help improve conditions, mix in peat moss, compost, or dehydrated manure. May be mulched around the base during the first winter. Good for naturalizing. Clusters of drooping heart-shaped blooms.

Definitely an old fashioned plant - was probably in a grandmother's garden. CALLED LYRE FLOWER. ALL PLANT PARTS MAY BE TOXIC IF INGESTED.

Bleeding Heart - Old Fashioned, White

Dainty, heart-shaped flowers dangle from 2- to 3-foot stems in late spring. Lovely in front of ferns, behind a crowd of fragrant lilies of the valley, or anywhere in a woodland garden. Dark green leaves provide a striking contrast to the snowy-white blooms of the White Old-Fashioned Bleeding Heart. Prefers full to partial shade.



Zones: 2-9.

Yarrow - Summer Pastel

Having these blooms in your garden is like looking through a kaleidoscope all summer long! Heat-loving and hardy plant provides vivid color late in the season. Soft pastel colors and aromatic, fernlike foliage are sure to brighten any space in your garden. A great choice for wildflower or rock gardens and cut flowers. Bareroot.

Heat loving and hardy plant provides vivid color late in the season.

Height: 24-36”.
Zones: 3-9.

Patio Blueberry

Patio Blueberries are often grown as an ornamental! Handsome, cold hardy and compact. Produces dusky blue berries as big as the ones in the supermarket, but even tastier! Round, firm and flavorful. Keeps its quality when frozen.

Birdhouse Gourd

Birdhouse Gourd
Big Enough for Bluebirds


Requires only that you cut entrance, take out seeds, and varnish to make gourds last.

Grows 12-14 inches tall. 95 DAYS.

Purple Beautyberry

Beautyberry ( Callicarpa )
Plant this upright, 3-4 ft. shrub where you can watch birds enjoy its juicy bright purple berries!

Use a few stems in flower arrangements for bursts of vivid color.

Berries appear late summer to fall and persist even after leaf drop, adding winter color to the landscape.

Excellent for hedges, screening and as specimen plants. Deer resistant.
Full sun to partial shade.

Zones 5-9.

Lamium

Dead Nettle, Lamium Maculatum

Fast growing perennial - use as ground cover.

Prefers a semi-shady dry area with well-drained soil but will tolerate a wide range of soils and moisture. It is best to cut this plant back after the first bloom to promote compact growth. This plant can be invasive.

Partial Sun, Partial Shade, Full Shade

deer resistant.

A good plant to use for naturalizing, massing or as a ground cover.

Pests: Slugs and snails

Diseases: May receive leaf scorch if planted in too much sun, Root Rot

Good Companion Plants: Bleeding Heart, Barrenwort, Hosta, Bugleweed, Ghost Fern, Carex, Lenten Rose

Many More Varieties shown HERE