Snowbird Landscaping
 The mild winter of Southern Arizona entices part-year residents and “locals” alike to the outdoors where they revel in sunny cool days and ideal conditions for patio living. Yet the landscapes they go out to enjoy might be no more interesting than those left behind under a carpet of snow. Many of our landscape plants, especially native species, are dormant in winter too.
However, there is no need to suffer a dull and boring winter landscape. With careful planning and plant selection, you can create attractive combinations that glow in the lovely rich light of the cool season. Evergreen trees, dramatic accent plants, winter flowering shrubs, and native wildflowers are some of the living elements to consider. Vividly colored walls and other hardscape elements can serve as eye catching backdrops for sculptural plants like ocotillo or create “hot” combinations with contrasting flowers.
The plant list below comprises trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and other plants that look good in winter and tolerate Tucson area conditions. Some are evergreen, some are winter flowering species, and some look good even in their “off” season. It is not an exhaustive list. The categories of cacti and accent plants, for example, contain a fraction of the hardy species that can be used since many of them look good year ‘round.
Keep in mind that very cold winters can frost back even the toughest plants and that warm microclimates might be best for some species. Try to find specimens in your area to see how they tolerate winter conditions there--results can vary widely based on elevation and exposure.
Resources for Practical Information and Plant Identification
- Arizona Native Plant Society Booklets
- “Landscape Plants for Dry Regions” by Jones and Sacamano
- “Low Water Use Plants” by Carol Shuler
- “Native Plants for Southwestern Landscapes” by Judy Mielke
- “Plants for Dry Climates” by Mary Rose Duffield and Warren Jones
- “Plants of Arizona” by Anne Orth Epple
- “Pruning, Planting and Care” by Eric Johnson
- “Xeriscape--Landscaping with style in the Arizona desert” by Az. Dept. of Water Resources
Design and Planting Tips for Snowbird Landscapes
- Look around your neighborhood to see which plants are successful and attractive in winter. If they work for the neighbors, they'll probably work for you too.
- If in doubt about a plant or plants, get advice from nurseries, botanical gardens, the Cooperative Extension Service, and other specialists with local knowledge.
- If you have an existing landscape with plants that go dormant in winter, inter-plant evergreen species to create interest and “cover” the bare ones. For example, the evergreen foliage of damianita can be used to hide the leafless stems of red bird-of-paradise in winter. Make sure to leave sufficient room for the dormant plant to achieve its full size in summer.
- Plant evergreens of different colors and textures to create attractive combinations. Wooly butterfly bush (Buddleia marrubifolia), with its gray, fuzzy foliage, looks good with the green, needle-like foliage of turpentine bush (Ericameria laricifolia). Gopher weed (Euphorbia rigida) is a prostrate plant with pointed leaves that contrasts nicely with its vertical, leafless relative, candelilla (E. antisyphilitica).
- Use sculptural plants that look good in any season. Ocotillos, agaves, desert spoons, hesperaloes, and yuccas are attractive any time. Also create color and interest with vivid hardscape elements like painted walls, tile benches, and garden art.
- Combine “hot” colored flowers together for great effect in the golden light of winter. For example, pansies, calendulas, and Iceland poppies in a pot create bright splashes that liven up a patio or entryway. Another benefit of pansies and calendulas is that they are edible and add as much color to a salad as they do to the outdoors!
- Use other colorful edible plants like red leaf lettuces, gray-green Russian kale, and chard, which has stems that range from white to pink to orange and red.
- Plant container gardens. They are easy to care for, can be located in frost protected areas, and can be emptied for summer or moved out of the way. Attractive, colorful pots add to the effect.
- Whatever you choose to plant, remember to group plants of like water use.
Large Trees (> 20’ tall)
Acacia salicina “Australian willow”
Acacia farnesiana “Sweet acacia”
Acacia stenophylla “Shoestring acacia”
Brahea armata “Blue hesper palm”
Callistemon viminalis “Red bottlebrush”
Eucalyptus campaspe “Silver gimlet”
Eucalyptus coolibah (microtheca) “Coolibah”
Eucalyptus leucoxylon v. rosea “Yellow gum”
Eucalyptus papuana (aparrerinja) “Ghost gum”
Olea europea cv. Swan Hill “Swan Hill olive”
Olneya tesota “Ironwood”
Parkinsonia florida “Blue palo verde”
Parkinsonia praecox “Palo brea”
Pinus halepensis “Aleppo pine”
Washingtonia filifera “California fan palm”
Small Trees (<20’ tall)
Acacia aneura “Mulga”
Acacia berlandieri “Guajillo”
Acacia pendula “Weeping myall”
Acacia rigidula “Black brush”
Acacia schaffneri “Twisted acacia”
Acacia willardiana “Palo blanco”
Bauhinia congesta “Anacacho orchid tree”
Caesalpinia cacalaco “Cascalote”
Caesalpinia mexicana “Yellow bird of paradise”
Chamaerops humilis “Mediterranean fan palm”
Ebenopsis ebano “Texas ebony”
Eucalyptus torquata “Coral gum”
Geijera parviflora “Wilga”
Parkinsonia cv. “Desert Museum palo verde”
Parkinsonia microphylla “Foothills palo verde”
Pistacia lentiscus “Mastic tree”
Psorothamnus spinosus “Smoke tree”
Sophora secundiflora “Texas mountain laurel”
Trachycarpus fortunei “Chinese windmill palm”
Vines
Gelsemium sempervirens “Carolina jessamine”
Hardenbergia violacea “Lilac vine”
Lonicera sempervirens “Trumpet honeysuckle”
Solanum jasminoides “Potato vine”
Shrubs
Acacia notabilis “Notable wattle”
Ambrosia deltoidea “Triangle-leaf bursage”
Artemisia ludoviciana “Western mugwort”
Asclepias linaria “Pineleaf milkweed”
Asclepias subulata “Desert milkweed”
Atriplex canescens “Fourwing saltbush”
Atriplex lentiformis “Quail brush”
Atriplex nummularia “Old man saltbush”
Buddleia marrubifolia “Wooly butterfly bush”
Calliandra eriophylla “Fairy duster”
Cassia artemisioides “Feathery cassia”
Celtis ehrenbergiana (pallida) “Desert hackberry”
Chrysactinia mexicana “Damianita”
Cordia parvifolia “Little leaf cordia”
Crossosoma bigelovii “Rhyolite bush”
Dalea bicolor cv “Monterrey blue”
Dalea pulchra “Bush dalea”
Dalea dorycnioides “Indigo bush”
Dalea versicolor “Indigo bush”
Dodonea angustifolia “Hopbush”
Encelia farinosa “Brittlebush”
Ephedra nevadensis “Mormon tea”
Eremophila cv. Valentine “Emu bush”
Eremophila decipiens “Emu bush”
Eremophila maculata “Spotted emu bush”
Ericameria laricifolia “Turpentine bush”
Eriogonum fasciculatum v. poliofolium “Flat top buckwheat”
Euphorbia antisyphilitica “Candelilla”
Euphorbia rigida “Gopher weed”
Justicia californica “Chuparosa”
Justicia candicans “Red justicia”
Justicia spicigera “Mexican honeysuckle”
Larrea divaricata (tridentata) “Creosote bush”
Lycium fremontii “Wolfberry”
Rosmarinus officinalis “Rosemary”
Ruellia peninsularis “Baja ruellia”
Simmondsia chinensis “Jojoba”
Tagetes lemmonii “Mountain marigold”
Teucrium fruticans “Bush germander”
Vauquelinia californica “Arizona rosewood”
Zizyphus obtusifolia “Graythorn”
Perennial Wildflowers
Bahia absinthifolia “Bahia”
Baileya multiradiata “Desert marigold”
Dyssodia pentachaeta “Golden dyssodia”
Hesperocallis undulata “Ajo lily”
Penstemon species “Penstemon”
Psilostrophe cooperi “Paperflower”
Zinnia acerosa “Desert zinnia”
Native Annual Wildflowers
Eschscholtzia mexicana “Mexican poppy”
Lesquerella gordonii “Bladderpod”
Lupinus species “Lupine”
Orthocarpus purpurascens “Owl’s clover”
Phacelia campanularia “Desert bluebells”
Accent Plants
Agave chrysantha “Golden-flowered agave”
Agave bracteosa
Agave parryi “Parry agave”
Agave parviflora
Agave schidigera
Agave schottii “Shindagger”
Agave victoriae-reginae “Queen Victoria agave”
Aloe barbadensis (vera) “Medicinal aloe”
Aloe variegata “Partridge breast aloe”
Dasylirion wheeleri “Desert spoon”
Euphorbia esculenta “Medusa head”
Euphorbia obesa “Baseball plant”
Euphorbia resinifera “Moroccan mound”
Fouquieria columnaris “Boojum”
Fouquieria splendens “Ocotillo”
Hesperaloe campanulata “Bell flowered
hesperaloe”
Hesperaloe funifera “Coahuilan hesperaloe”
Hesperaloe parviflora “Red yucca”
Pedilanthus macrocarpus “Slipper plant”
Yucca baccata “Banana yucca”
Yucca brevifolia “Joshua tree”
Yucca elata “Soaptree yucca”
Ground covers
Aptenia cordifolia “Hearts and flowers”
Convolvulus cneorum “Bush morning glory”
Convolvulus mauritanicus “Ground morning glory”
Dalea greggii “Trailing indigo bush”
Hymenoxis acaulis “Angelita daisy”
Gazania rigens leucolaena “Trailing gazania”
Rosmarinus officinalis “Dwarf rosemary”
Teucrium chamaedrys “Germander”
Verbena peruviana “Peruvian verbena”
Cacti
Ariocarpus retusus
Carnegiea gigantea “Saguaro”
Echinocereus rigidissimus “Az. rainbow cactus”
Ferocactus colvillei “Colville barrel cactus”
Ferocactus latispinus
Ferocactus pringlei “Fire barrel”
Ferocactus wislizeni “Fishhook barrel”
Lophocereus schottii “Senita”
Mammillaria grahamii “Pincushion cactus”
Myrtillocactus geometrizans “Candelabra cactus”
Opuntia versicolor “Staghorn cholla”
Opuntia santa-rita “Purple prickly pear”
Stetsonia coryne “Toothpick cactus”
Grasses and Grass-like Plants
Bouteloua curtipendula “Sideoats grama”
Bouteloua gracilis “Blue grama”
Calibanus hookeri
Heteropogon contortus “Tanglehead”
Muhlenbergia dumosa “Bamboo muhly”
Nolina microcarpa “Beargrass”
Stipa neomexicana “New Mexico feathergrass”
Cool Season Bedding Plants
Antirrhinum varieties “Snapdragon”
Cyclamen varieties “Cyclamen”
Lathyrus odorata “Sweet pea”
Lobelia varieties “Lobelia”
Lobularia varieties “Sweet alyssum”
Matthiola varieties “Stock”
Papaver nudicaule “Iceland poppy”
Pelargonium varieties “Geranium”
Petunia varieties “Petunia”
Viola varieties “Viola, Violet, Pansy”
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