Native Plants
![](../_images/smarty_plants.gif)
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
![](../_images/mr_smarty_plants_logo_web_200w.jpg)
rate this answer
![](../_images/star_43.gif)
Thursday - March 12, 2009
From: Apache Jct, AZ
Region: Southwest
Topic: Xeriscapes, Herbs/Forbs, Shrubs
Title: Low-maintenance native plants for Arizona
Answered by: Nina Hawkins
QUESTION:
Will you please suggest some Native plants that can be left without care for the summer and survive - other than cactus?ANSWER:
The plants below are all native to Pinal and/or Maricopa counties and can tolerate dry conditions. Since it sounds like you won't be around during the summer, I included a few plants that will bloom in some of the cooler months or that have a long bloom period.
Chilopsis linearis (desert willow)
Baileya multiradiata (desert marigold)
Abronia villosa (desert sand verbena)
Glandularia bipinnatifida var. bipinnatifida (Dakota mock vervain)
Hibiscus coulteri (desert rosemallow)
Melampodium leucanthum (plains blackfoot)
Tecoma stans (yellow trumpetbush)
Cleome isomeris (bladderpod spiderflower)
Also take a look at this previous question that lists native grasses and low growing shrubs for erosion control in Arizona. These plants will have an excellent shot at surviving your summers unattended. You can also check out our Recommended Species page for Arizona or search our Native Plant Database for specific plant characteristics such as bloom time, light requirements or habit (herb, shrub, tree, etc.) using the 'combination search' feature.
Any initial watering you do to help your new plants get established should be deep and infrequent to encourage the roots to grow farther down into the soil. Deep roots will better equip them to withstand the drought and heat of summer.
More Shrubs Questions
White blooms on Rose Pavonia from Austin
May 02, 2012 - Hi Mr. Smarty Plants,
I've planted my entire South Austin garden with natives from your excellent recommendations and I wanted to thank you, the garden is just beautiful!
So here is my questio...
view the full question and answer
Problems with Silverado Sage in Pearland, TX.
July 28, 2012 - Hi,
We have three Silverado Sage bushes we planted last year. They did great during the drought. However, this winter they had a severed leaf drop of mostly just the centers of them. These cente...
view the full question and answer
Privacy screen for pool from Southlake TX
April 21, 2012 - I have a row of 7 live oaks that help block my neighbors two story house. Unfortunately, there is a gap between each tree of about 8 feet wide and 15 feet tall (from ground to the first branches/ leav...
view the full question and answer
Pollination of Fendlera rupicola
July 17, 2014 - How/by what is Fendlera rupicola pollinated?
view the full question and answer
Mountain Laurel suffering from Spring freeze
May 12, 2015 - I have a 4 1/2 ft Texas Mountain Laurel shrub in current location for several years. A hard freeze this spring killed every leaf on the tree, but the stems remained green. My other smaller Mt. Laure...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |