Low-Maintenance Perennials for the Desert Southwest
Every region has its share of plants that are easy maintenance. Choose these low-maintenance perennials and you can enjoy a colorful, almost carefree yard. We've pulled together some of the easiest-to-grow perennials in the Desert Southwest. Add them to your landscape for season-long color. These time-tested favorites have become classics of country and cottage gardens and are full of heirloom charm.
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Datura
A sprawling, native wildflower with pretty trumpet-shape flowers, datura blooms all summer long. The beautiful white flowers are fragrant in the evening hours, and the gray-green leaves make a nice foil. Be careful though, all parts of these low-maintenance outdoor plants are extrememly poisonous if digested.
Plant Name: Datura meteloides
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 4 feet tall and wide
Grow It With: Salvia, which offers wonderfully contrasting spiky blooms
Zones: 7-11; often grown as a self-seeding annual in colder areas
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Agave
This dramatic, shrublike succulent offers interesting texture and foliage to any garden. It's no wonder agaves are becoming favorites of gardeners everywhere—their bold, architectural form really stands out in the landscape.
Plant Name: Agave americana
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 25 feet tall in bloom and 6 feet wide
Grow It With: Western columbine for a bold combination of color and texture
Zones: 9-11
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Mexican Tarragon
Enjoy the low-maintenance aromatic foliage all year long; the charming golden-yellow flowers are a great autumn bonus. Mexican tarragon, also called Mexican mint marigold, is rather tasty and can be used for cooking and baking.
Plant Name: Tagetes lucida
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 30 inches tall and 18 inches wide
Grow It With: The lush blooms of desert primrose
Zones: 8-10
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Penstemon
You can't go wrong with penstemon. These plants are as tough as they are beautiful. There's a huge variety; look for selections that bloom in just about any color. All are great plants for attracting hummingbirds and butterflies; most are great cut flowers, too.
Plant Name: Penstemon heterophyllus
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 2 feet tall and wide
Grow It With: Salvia; the two have a similar shape and texture
Zones: 7-10
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Salvia
Salvia, like penstemon, is another surefire winner for your garden. Salvias bear spikes of blooms in a wide array of colors—from bold red to true blue—on heat- and drought-resistant plants. Many have extended bloom seasons, and are favorites of hummingbirds and butterflies. Try one and it's likely to become one of your favorite plants (with a low-maintenance bonus).
Plant Name: Salvia farinacea
Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and well-drained soil
Size: To 2 feet tall and wide
Grow It With: Creeping phlox, which makes a great skirt for the plant
Zones: 8-11
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Prickly Pear
Not all cactuses are created the same. Look for easy-growing prickly pear in a wide variety of colors—as well thornless selections. These plants are a great choice for gardeners in high elevations; certain prickly pears are among the hardiest cactuses.
Plant Name: Opuntia selections
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 5 feet tall and wide
Grow It With: Echeveria, another easy-care succulent, for a fun mix of color and texture
Zones: 5-11, depending on type
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Western Columbine
Add a soft, delicate texture to shady spots in your garden with Western columbine. This low-maintenance perennial sprouts colorful red-and-yellow springtime blooms. The blue-green, soft-textured foliage is a perfect way to add interest into your garden when the columbine isn't blooming.
Plant Name: Aquilegia formosa
Growing Conditions: Partial shade and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide
Grow It With: Pasque flower for a topnotch springtime display
Zones: 4-7
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Four o'Clock
It's four o'clock somewhere! All summer long, these easy-growing perennials will fill your garden with fragrance in the afternoon. Plus, it's a favorite of dusk-feeding hummingbirds and many beautiful moths.
Plant Name: Mirabilis jalapa
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 2 feet tall and wide
Grow It With: The morning blooms of coneflower
Zones: 10-11; often grown as a self-seeding annual in colder areas
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Primrose
Add some color to your garden with almost no maintenance. Primrose is a great choice for adding a spring-to-fall carpet of color to hot, sunny areas. The cheery yellow blooms shine against the perennial's rich evergreen foliage.
Plant Name: Calylophus hartwegii
Growing Conditions: Part shade in dry soil
Size: To 1 foot tall and several feet wide
Grow It With: Salvia—the yellow and blue color combination is a garden classic
Zones: 5-9