Common name: Red Rose Penstemon
Botanical name: Penstemon superbus

Red Rose Penstemon has vivid coral flowers along 4' tall stalks in spring. Leaves are gray green, glaucous, 4"long, and 1.5" wide. Hummingbirds love this plant. It does well in desert areas but needs regular water in summer.

Common name: Baja Fairy Duster
Botanical name: Calliandra californica

Baja fairy duster is a constant bloomer that grows about 3'-5' tall and wide. Plants are evergreen in climates without frost; otherwise, they will freeze to the ground. Blooms are most abundant in spring, but continue year-round for constant interest. It is drought tolerant but grows fairly quickly with additional moisture. Full sun will promote flowering. It needs little shearing. It attracts hummingbirds and bees and provides larval food for butterflies.

Common name: Smooth Agave
Botanical name: Agave desmetiana

Agave with an open rosette form grows quickly to 3' x 3'. Very attractive plant resembles Octopus Agave but smaller. Fleshy leaves are light green with smooth edges and a sharp tip. Will grow best in filtered sun or full shade. After several years, flower stalk will appear with bright yellow flowers in spring. Like most agaves, it will die after flowering but produces an abundance of offesets. Somewhat cold sensitive.

Common name: Golden Barrel Cactus
Botanical name: Echinocactus grusonii

Golden Barrel Cactus has a globe shaped trunk and vertical ribs lined with thick rows of golden spines. It grows slowly to 3' tall. It looks handsome in containers. It can thrive in full sun but prefers some shade in low desert. This cactus prefers well drained soil and rots with poor drainage.

Common name: Aloe Vera or Medicinal Aloe
Botanical name: Aloe vera

The rosette of this plant consists of fleshy gray green leaves, which are narrow, succulent and erect with soft spines on margins. This Aloe is a slow to moderate grower. Flowers are spikes of yellow, 2'-3' tall and bloom late winter to summer. This aloe can form large clumps. It will tolerate full to partial sun, needs some supplemental water in heat and good drainage. It attracts hummingbirds. This aloe is a Mediterranean native. The sap is used for burns and abrasions.

Common name: Desert Encelia
Botanical name: Encelia farinosa

This deciduous mounding shrub typically has gray leaves that can reach 5' tall and wide. However, the leaves will turn white in drought conditions. Bright yellow 1" wide daisies appear in spring and summer. There is rapid growth following rain but this shrub is short-lived. Individual plants will reseed to repopulate. It does well in hot areas but cannot tolerate clay soils due to root rot. It will become overgrown and fragile if over watered.