Common name:Queen Palm
Botanical name:Syagrus romanzoffianum
This palm has a very straight trunk to about 50' in height. It has arching, feathery, bright green, glossy leaves that can be 10'-15' long. It is fragile in heavy winds and a fast grower. It will become damaged in temperature below 24 degrees F.
Common name:Carrotwood, Cupania
Botanical name:Cupaniopsis anacardioides
This evergreen tree will grow up to 40' high and has leathery, dark green leaves. When the trees approach maturity, yellow to orange fruit may be produced; it does well in wet soil.
Common name:Fox Tail Agave, Velvet Agave
Botanical name:Agave attenuata
This Agave has a dramatic tropical form. Even light frost can damage its succulent leaves. It is great for containers. In the low desert, partial sun will be best. If it becomes top heavy, simply cut and stick in the ground to root. It is not a fast grower and has light green foliage. It will also die after flowering but pups around the mother will survive. Distinctive with its large rosette of leaves perched on a long curving trunk, it is a native from Mexico.
Common name:Australian Willow
Botanical name:Geijera parviflora
Australian Willow (Geijera parviflora) is an excellent specimen tree for medium-sized gardens. This Australian native tree reaches 45’ tall and 20’ wide and is very low-water-use and low maintenance. These trees can be found in nurseries in both single-trunk and multi-trunk forms. The natural growth habit is weeping and irregular, so it does require some selective pruning and shaping when young to achieve the desired look. Thinning out the heavy, weeping branches will take some of the weight out of them, and they usually lift. The tree may require this type of pruning a few times a year for the first two or three years, but once it has achieved a height requiring a ladder to prune, it should be shaped by a licensed arborist. This tree is a slow grower and would benefit from an application of nitrogen fertilizer every year. It should be planted at least four feet away from any hardscape areas, 15 feet from structures such as houses and buildings, and not near any powerlines. Shrubs and perennials should be planted about three feet away from this tree. It should be irrigated for about 45 minutes once a week when using most in-line drip irrigation systems.
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Photographer: GardenSoft
Physical weed control, including mulching, or hand removal protects the watershed from harmful chemicals.
Attract, or buy beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings to control pest outbreaks in your garden.