Desert Landscaping Archives

Desert Landscaping Plants Mesa Arizona

Enduring and beautiful landscaping takes planning and a keen eye no matter where you live. Creating visually appealing and sustainable landscape in the desert is a bit more tricky. Choosing desert landscaping plants for Mesa, Arizona takes a little extra planning when making your selections. Take a look at the categories below to see some of what does well in the heat of the desert.

Desert Succulents

Succulents are plants that have thicker or fatty areas that store water. Cacti are considered part of the succulent family, but are usually listed separately because they feature the sharp spines.

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Ocotillo – While the ocotillo may appear to be a cactus it is technically a succulent. During the year they might appear to be dried out sticks, but during rainfall they become lush and green very quickly. These add an other worldly beauty to your desert landscape.

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Cape Aloe – This single stemmed aloe plant can grow up to an amazing 10 feet. Featuring brightly colored red orange stems in the center they are a great way for landscapes to create visual appeal.

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Medicinal Aloe – Also known as Aloe Vera these plants are beautiful, drought resistant and also have well known medicinal applications. Many of the skin treatments sold at stores actually contain aloe. As part of having it growing in your landscape, makes tending to sunburns or minor burns easy.

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Agave Lechuguilla – While the name lechuguilla means little lettuce its use is best for decorative landscaping purposes. With long, sharp, rigid, tough leaves these can be a visually attractive landscaping option. However for families with younger children the sharp leaves can pose a safety hazard. Given the name “shin-daggers”, care must be exercised when deciding which yards and where to plant these beautiful desert plants.

Desert Cacti

A staple and icon of the desert the cactus is at home in any Arizona landscape. Featuring different shapes, styles, and spines there is a lot of variety to choose from. Many include beautiful, brightly colored flowers that bloom during certain parts of the year.

Saguaro – As a native resident to the Sonoran desert in Arizona few plants are as prepared to thrive in the desert. These amazing cacti have the ability to grow up to and over an amazing 70 feet. The lifespan of this cactus can be as long as 150 or more. So this can be a great addition to family properties landscape.

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Golden Barrel – As a plant that is actually somewhat endangered in the wild these round cactus can bring a varied and contrasting shape to your desert landscape. While they start their life as a single round ball they develop ribs and end up having a series of knobs and protrusions which create amazingly unique and beautiful visual shapes.

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Engelmann’s Hedgehog – Common to the southwest of the United states these beauties typically grow in clusters. The brightly colored magenta flowers bloom in April or May depending on the heat and rainfall. Daring gardeners may try to collect the fruit these cacti grow. Many say that the fruit tastes like strawberry, which earned the cactus the secondary name of Strawberry hedgehog cactus.

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Totem Pole – Totem poles are an art form of the Native Americans in the northwest. This cactus features the same type of tall, bumpy, sectioned appearance. With a brilliant green appearance these thorn less cacti are great for desert landscapes. Without thorns they are a great option for families with younger children as they are smooth to the touch.

Desert Perennials

Perennials are flowers and plants that living for more than 2 years. Many live for about 2 to 4 years, and then drop seeds. This means more of them are coming back without requiring a lot of work by the gardener. Perennials differ from annuals in that annuals much be planted each year. There are many different types of perennials that do well in the arid desert landscape of Arizona. Here are a few popular types of perennials.

Canyon Penstemon – Featuring a bright pink blossoms in the warmer parts of the year. These large blossoms are a favorite for hummingbirds and will keep them coming back to visit your yard. The plant grows up to about 3 feet tall and up to 2 feet wide. This makes for a beautiful splash of color in your desert landscape.

Mexican Bush Sage – Being native to central and eastern Mexico these plants are quite at home in the desert. While not very frost hardy they do well in the warmer, lower deserts of Arizona. The bracts the white flowers bloom out of are typically colored and offer a wonderful contrast in your landscape.

Jerusalem Sage – While being native to a the Mediterranean this small evergreen shrub displays beautiful yellow flowers. The blossoms have a sage-like aromatic quality that permeates gardens. This perennial smells as good as it looks.

Firecracker Penstemon – Bearing a resemblance to the firecrackers these perennials add a much needed “pop” to any garden. They are native to the west and southwestern United States, so they do very well in our gardens.

Mesa’s Desert Landscaping Plant Nursery

A&P Nursery has 4 locations in the East Valley of the Phoenix area. 2 locations in Mesa, 1 in Gilbert and another in Queen Creek, Arizona. We carry a wide range of plants that do great in the desert. Swing by one of our locations to view the full selection of desert landscaping plants and get pro advice about how to start or upkeep your garden or landscape.

A & P Nursery
40370 N. Gantzel Rd.
Queen Creek, AZ 85240
480-655-5789

A & P Nursery
2645 W. Baseline Rd.
Mesa, Arizona 85202
480-839-5362

A & P Nursery
6129 E. Brown Rd.
Mesa, Arizona 85205
480-396-8800

A & P Nursery &
Lawnmower Shop
2601 E. Baseline Rd.
Gilbert, Arizona 85234
480-892-7939