If you’re replanting your backyard, you’ll want to consider the plants that grow best in Arizona’s hot summers. There are many plants that are tolerant of high temperatures in Arizona, but not all of them will thrive in the hottest conditions. Here’s a list of plants that do well in Arizona’s direct sunlight. Yarrow, Canna Lilly Canna, Cosmos, Cantaloupe, and yucca are four examples of plants that will thrive in this climate.
Yarrow
Yarrow is a perennial that grows well in the desert region of Arizona. Its fern-like foliage starts out as low-growing rosette with finely divided leaves. Once established, it produces clusters of small, white flowers, which depend on the amount of precipitation and irrigation. Seeds are collected after the flowers have dried. It is best to plant seeds indoors, where they can receive adequate light.
Yarrow is a mid-height herbaceous perennial with a broad range of bloom colors and foliage types. This perennial prefers a well-drained soil and doesn’t need staking. It is fairly low-maintenance and requires only pruning to promote flowering and reduce its height. Yarrow will not tolerate high-nitrogen soil, so cut back on your fertilizer.
While yarrow can be invasive, many cultivars are sterile. It is a great plant for butterflies and hummingbirds, but don’t forget that you should deadhead the flower after it blooms. Yarrow is a drought-tolerant plant once established, and will usually recover from periods of high drought. Just remember that yarrow is toxic to cats, dogs, and horses.
Yarrow is a tough, drought-resistant perennial that can be grown in a variety of soils. It prefers full sun but can grow in partial shade as well. It’s best grown in soil that’s dry and well-drained. Even if your soil isn’t ideal for growing plants, yarrow can thrive in a shaded spot. Its flowering season lasts from late spring into the fall. It can be deadheaded or cut back if necessary.
Yucca
The desert-dwelling yucca has several advantages over other desert-dwelling plants, including drought tolerance, and it is incredibly drought-tolerant. This desert plant’s flowers are edible and the moth that pollinates the flowers lays its eggs in the flower. If you want a beautiful desert plant without the extreme heat, you should try one of the many varieties of yucca.
Red yucca grows well in the Verde Valley and ideally suited for this region. It is drought-tolerant and can tolerate cold temperatures down to -20°F. It makes a great specimen container plant or accent plant. It can be difficult to transplant at first, but once it has grown to a mature size, it will thrive in your backyard. If you don’t have the time to transplant the plant, it will grow back in a few years and will grow again.
Yucca seeds can be purchased at any garden center or nursery. Once soaked, seeds should sprout in about one month. For best results, scarring the seeds with sand paper prior to planting them will help the seeds germinate. Yucca plants can be grown from seed, or they can be propagated by cuttings. Once the cuttings have sprouted, they can be planted into a pot with well-draining soil.
Cosmos
To start growing cosmos plants in your backyard, you need to prepare the soil properly. Cosmos require full sunlight and well-drained soil. Cosmos seedlings need a good amount of moisture and should be planted only a few inches apart. If you are planting them in a sunny location, they should be spaced about 30 to 45 cm (12-15 inches) apart. Plant them in the full sun and give them plenty of water. If you live in a dry climate, you may want to keep the soil as moist as possible to encourage their germination. However, if your backyard is too windy, it is possible to transplant the seedlings to a different location.
Cosmos self-sows, so be sure to keep this in mind when planting them. Once the flowers have fallen, remove the dried pods. Rub them over a paper towel to remove any remaining dust. Place the seeds in an envelope and leave it for at least six weeks before storing them. You can also try to save the seeds. These are easy to collect and store. Besides, they are disease-free and pest-free, so you don’t have to worry about damaging them.
A cosmos plant can grow to three to four feet tall. They are ideal for backyard gardens and are low maintenance. Cosmos are low-maintenance plants and are relatively pest-free. Planting them in a well-balanced garden is important to reduce the chance of pest insects attacking the plants. The flowers will last for about seven to ten days if you cut them after they bloom. Cosmos seedlings grow fastest in hot soil, so they should be planted in early mornings.
Canna Lilly Canna
A thriving plant in Arizona’s hot, dry summers, the Canna lily thrives in the Arizona heat. These root hardy perennials thrive in temperatures as high as 95degF. However, you should plant your Canna lilies bulb in the spring, not before the last date of frost in your zone. A well-developed rhizome will have three or more eyes and should be spaced two to three feet apart.
This plant requires little maintenance once it is established. Pruning is unnecessary. However, you can cut the old flower stalks in midsummer, after they have finished blooming. They will soon recover. However, if you live in a hard freeze climate, you need to dig them up. You must remember that the foliage is a protective covering for the canna bulbs.
Cannas come in different varieties, including dwarf and normal. The foliage is red, white, and green and the blooms are multicolored. Some varieties are purple and yellow, while others have orange or red stamens. All three types of Cannas have different growing habits, but they all enjoy a full sun. You should water them thoroughly once a week to keep them healthy.
Cannas are versatile and useful in a variety of ways. They make a great garden barrier or privacy hedge. They blend well with other plants of varying heights and can also be planted to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. You can also plant Cannas near rock gardens to give them a colorful pop in the garden. Its flowers are attractive even if they have a dark flower color.
Bush lantana
In a warm climate like Arizona, a bush lantana plant can provide the perfect backdrop for your backyard oasis. It is a prolific bloomer that grows two to four feet tall with sprawling branches. Its foliage is green with rough hairs and prickly stems. The flowers of lantana have a pungent aroma when crushed. These flowers are surrounded by tiny petals that look like tiny bumblebees. These plants bloom almost non-stop until the first frost and reseed themselves if they get enough water. In the Arizona climate, you can count on them for blooming non-stop until the first frost. They are easy to propagate by softwood cuttings and seedlings. Unless you live in an area where lantana plants are native, you should avoid planting them in the Arizona
Bush lantana plants are hardy in Arizona and need full sunlight with plenty of reflected heat to thrive. They require well-drained soils and respond well to fertilization. You should apply an ammonium phosphate fertilizer to the soil during early spring. They also need irrigation during the hotter summer months. If you are concerned about the soil, try sprinkling a diluted fertilizer over the soil.
The lantana genus is susceptible to a number of diseases. In shaded conditions, they may develop powdery mildew and sooty mold, while plants kept in too-wet conditions may develop root rot. Sooty mold, a black discoloration of the leaves, is often caused by insect pests. Another common pest is lace bugs. They attack the foliage and cause it to drop off.
Mexican Bird of Paradise
This hardy evergreen shrub is native to Northern Mexico. Its long flowering season attracts hummingbirds and butterflies to your yard. It is thornless and has brilliant green foliage. Mexican Bird of Paradise plants are great for containers and large patios. If you want to grow this plant as a mixed border shrub, you can prune the plants to encourage more blooming.
This plant is easy to grow and requires no prior knowledge of gardening. Mexican Bird of Paradise plants grow best in full sun, although they will tolerate partial shade. Mexican Bird of Paradise prefers well-drained soil with plenty of sun. The plant tolerates some shade, though the flowers are less abundant when planted in shade. Plant one in a pot or in a sunny area, and space it ten feet apart.
The Mexican Bird of Paradise plant is a small tree or shrub that grows to 15 feet tall and six to ten feet wide. They don’t produce much litter, and they are thornless. They can survive temperatures down to 15 degrees F and are relatively fast-growing. You can prune it to grow into a small tree or shrub. You can even overwinter them indoors.
If you want to grow Mexican Bird of Paradise plants in your backyard, consider planting them in peat pots. Peat pots allow you to easily transplant seedlings, and they’re easy to grow. The peat pots are perfect for indoor seed starting, and they can also be planted whole in the ground. The roots penetrate the peat pot and disintegrate it, enriching the soil.