Cactus choices for flowers

Argentine Hedgehog

It is easy to forget how dramatic our desert cactus are. For most of the year, they just kind of sit there and blend in with the desert. Cactus make great additions to desert landscaping even when they are not blooming, but if flowers are what you are after, here are some stunning choices.

Engelmann's Prickly Pear

The Engelmann’s Prickly Pear is one of our most common cactus species. The bright yellow flowers are following by red fruits relished by birds.

Santa Rita Prickly Pear

The Santa Rita Prickly Pear is named after the Santa Rita Mountains in Southern Arizona. The purple pads add color even when the plant is not sporting yellow flowers. It’s interesting to note that botanists don’t really know exactly why the pads are purple. Some think it’s tied to cold weather, some to drought stress, others to genetics. Whatever the reason, if pays to buy a very purple one to begin with.

Engelmann’s Hedgehog is a notable native, with stunning magenta flowers on a small, compact plant.

Look to the pincushion species for flower shows to rival all others. Hot pink flowers are easy to spot from long distances, even though the plant is under 6 inches tall.

Arizona Fishhook

The stately sahuaro is a summer bloomer, with white flowers appearing on the top, sides and arms. Pollinated by bats, these flowers produce delicious fruits still harvested the traditional way by Native Americans.

Although not a native, the Argentine Giant handles heat and cold, but it does prefer part shade in the hot desert. The flowers are white, and up to six inches across. The Argentine Hedgehog is another hardy cactus from the same region. Taller than other hedgehog species, the stems reach up to two feet tall. The flowers are an amazing red-orange, and also up to six inches across.

Cactus need little care, and will suffer if you give them too much care. Avoid watering cactus in the ground unless they are drought stressed. Container cactus, however do need water—weekly in the summer if they are in full sun.

Creating a desert butterfly garden

Lantana

Backyard bird watching is a favorite activity of desert dwellers, since so many species visit warm climates during the winter. Many landscape plants are selected because they attract birds. Another way to bring colorful, living visitors to your home is planting a butterfly garden. The best part is, you can bring some of the 250 southwest butterfly species to your yard by using desert natives and desert adapted plants.

What do Butterflies like?

Butterflies like plants with colorful flowers. White flowers do not seem to interest them. In general, they need flowers that are easy to sit on, so they don’t pick tubular flowers like hummingbirds. Butterflies like their flowers flat. But like hummingbirds, they do feed on nectar. To attract and keep butterflies, you need not only flowers, but plants for caterpillar food. This way you are attracting them for their whole life cycle. The more variety you have, the more different kinds of butterflies you will see. Some butterflies are very fussy and pick only certain kinds of plants, while others don’t care much. For the widest variety of visitors, plant a wide variety of plants.

Plants to Attract Caterpillars

Plants to include in your butterfly garden include the following:

• Pine-leaf milkweed (Asclepias linaria)
• Narrowleaf milkweed (Asclepias subulata)
• Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberose
• Fern acacia (Acacia angustissima)
• Globemallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua)
• Sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula)
• Bamboo muhly (Muhlenbergia dumosa)
• Green spangletop (Leptochloa dubia)
• Goosefoot (Chenopodia fremontii)
• Saltbush (Atriplex elegans)

Flowering Plants to Attract Butterflies

Your butterfly garden can have just flowering butterfly attracting plants, or a combination of both caterpillar food plants and plants with flowers. Butterfly magnet plants include:

·        Kidneywood (Eysenhardtia orthocarpa)

·        Bee bush (Aloysia gratissima)

·        Lantana species (Lantana camara, Lantana montevidensis)

·        Red bird of paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima)

·        Butterfly mist (Ageratum corymbosum)

·        Black dalea (Dalea pulchra)

Planting your Butterfly Garden

Fall is the best time to plant desert native plants or seeds. The November rains, cooler days and nights trigger germination of seeds, and while the air may be cooler the soil is still warm, encouraging root establishment. This is important for plants to make it through the first summer.

Finding Seed Sources

Many of the plants mentioned above are desert natives, and may be hard to find. Do not harvest seeds or plants from the desert; check online for sources, or find a local nursery specializing in native desert plants.

Creating a desert butterfly garden

Lantana

Backyard bird watching is a favorite activity of desert dwellers, since so many species visit warm climates during the winter. Many landscape plants are selected because they attract birds. Another way to bring colorful, living visitors to your home is planting a butterfly garden. The best part is, you can bring some of the 250 southwest butterfly species to your yard by using desert natives and desert adapted plants.

What do Butterflies like?

Butterflies like plants with colorful flowers. White flowers do not seem to interest them. In general, they need flowers that are easy to sit on, so they don’t pick tubular flowers like hummingbirds. Butterflies like their flowers flat. But like hummingbirds, they do feed on nectar. To attract and keep butterflies, you need not only flowers, but plants for caterpillar food. This way you are attracting them for their whole life cycle. The more variety you have, the more different kinds of butterflies you will see. Some butterflies are very fussy and pick only certain kinds of plants, while others don’t care much. For the widest variety of visitors, plant a wide variety of plants.

Plants to Attract Caterpillars

Plants to include in your butterfly garden include the following:

• Pine-leaf milkweed (Asclepias linaria)
• Narrowleaf milkweed (Asclepias subulata)
• Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberose
• Fern acacia (Acacia angustissima)
• Globemallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua)
• Sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula)
• Bamboo muhly (Muhlenbergia dumosa)
• Green spangletop (Leptochloa dubia)
• Goosefoot (Chenopodia fremontii)
• Saltbush (Atriplex elegans)

Flowering Plants to Attract Butterflies

Your butterfly garden can have just flowering butterfly attracting plants, or a combination of both caterpillar food plants and plants with flowers. Butterfly magnet plants include:

·        Kidneywood (Eysenhardtia orthocarpa)

·        Bee bush (Aloysia gratissima)

·        Lantana species (Lantana camara, Lantana montevidensis)

·        Red bird of paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima)

·        Butterfly mist (Ageratum corymbosum)

·        Black dalea (Dalea pulchra)

Planting your Butterfly Garden

Fall is the best time to plant desert native plants or seeds. The November rains, cooler days and nights trigger germination of seeds, and while the air may be cooler the soil is still warm, encouraging root establishment. This is important for plants to make it through the first summer.

Finding Seed Sources

Many of the plants mentioned above are desert natives, and may be hard to find. Do not harvest seeds or plants from the desert; check online for sources, or find a local nursery specializing in native desert plants.

Creating a desert butterfly garden

Backyard bird watching is a favorite activity of desert dwellers, since so many species visit warm climates during the winter. Many landscape plants are selected because they attract birds. Another way to bring colorful, living visitors to your home is planting a butterfly garden. The best part is, you can bring some of the 250 southwest butterfly species to your yard by using desert natives and desert adapted plants.

What do Butterflies like?

Butterflies like plants with colorful flowers. White flowers do not seem to interest them. In general, they need flowers that are easy to sit on, so they don’t pick tubular flowers like hummingbirds. Butterflies like their flowers flat. But like hummingbirds, they do feed on nectar. To attract and keep butterflies, you need not only flowers, but plants for caterpillar food. This way you are attracting them for their whole life cycle. The more variety you have, the more different kinds of butterflies you will see. Some butterflies are very fussy and pick only certain kinds of plants, while others don’t care much. For the widest variety of visitors, plant a wide variety of plants.

Plants to Attract Caterpillars

Plants to include in your butterfly garden include the following:

• Pine-leaf milkweed (Asclepias linaria)
• Narrowleaf milkweed (Asclepias subulata)
• Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberose
• Fern acacia (Acacia angustissima)
• Globemallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua)
• Sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula)
• Bamboo muhly (Muhlenbergia dumosa)
• Green spangletop (Leptochloa dubia)
• Goosefoot (Chenopodia fremontii)
• Saltbush (Atriplex elegans)

Flowering Plants to Attract Butterflies

Your butterfly garden can have just flowering butterfly attracting plants, or a combination of both caterpillar food plants and plants with flowers. Butterfly magnet plants include:

·        Kidneywood (Eysenhardtia orthocarpa)

·        Bee bush (Aloysia gratissima)

·        Lantana species (Lantana camara, Lantana montevidensis)

·        Red bird of paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima)

·        Butterfly mist (Ageratum corymbosum)

·        Black dalea (Dalea pulchra)

Planting your Butterfly Garden

Fall is the best time to plant desert native plants or seeds. The November rains, cooler days and nights trigger germination of seeds, and while the air may be cooler the soil is still warm, encouraging root establishment. This is important for plants to make it through the first summer.

Finding Seed Sources

Many of the plants mentioned above are desert natives, and may be hard to find. Do not harvest seeds or plants from the desert; check online for sources, or find a local nursery specializing in native desert plants.