Passion vine, passionflower vine, passion plant. There are many names for this vine with striking flowers and tasty fruits. Passion Vine Called variously passion flower, passion fruit and just plain passion vine, the genus Passiflora has over 500 species, most with edible fruit. As with virtually all cultivated garden plants, […]
The bunnies hop right on past the desert hopbush, also called desert hops, and occasionally called sand cherry. Other common names include arilla (Spanish); and in Seri, casol caacol. I would love to know the O’odham name if someone reading this knows it. The botanical name is Dodonaea viscosa and […]
“What are those weird lumps on my creosote bush? Should I cut them off?” A Question Asked Via Substack This wonderful question came in from a subscriber to my Substack newsletter. I love Substack because people can ask such anonymous questions and not feel embarrassed, quite unlike other social media. […]
Aloysia are attractive to me because they are edible (appetizing!). They are attractive to pollinators as well. But best of all – they are not attractive to javelina and rabbits! This is part of my continuing series of articles that could be titled “Plant Your Yard for Pollinators and People,” […]
Poppies sure pop out in spring! Depending on where you live in the Southwest there can be spectacular displays of blooms! Want some of this beauty in your yard? The time to start is months before the flowers appear. Basically you have to plant in fall for spring display. I […]
Last week, I started this series about desert mistletoe, to discuss what you might do about it in your trees. Not a Bad Thing Some people try to eradicate desert mistletoe, thinking it is harming the tree. It be a poor parasite if it killed it’s host. Yes, […]
Here in the desert we have a unique species of mistletoe called the desert mistletoe, Phoradendron californicum. It is in a family closely related to the fragrant sandalwood. There are many species of mistletoe around the world, parasitic and hemi-parisitic on a number of trees. All mistletoe plants are […]
Brittlebush is not only beautiful to behold – it is beautiful for many aspects of any Sonoran and Mojave desert habitat. Brittlebush provides food for foraging pollinators, a shady spot to start saguaro life, a sheltered spot for wildlife to rest, and a safe corner of the world to […]
I encouraged you to plant evergreen oaks recently. Now here is some information about which oaks to plant. There are many native oaks to choose from, but let’s start with these eight that you can actually purchase from your local nursery. Be very wary of oaks form big box stores. […]
Have you considered an oak tree for your yard? If you can answer yes to any of these questions – an oak tree may be right for you. Looking for a tall, stately tree for your yard? Have a tiny yard – but want a nice tree? A tree that […]
