Bring Life to Your Garden

Springtime in the desert is usually brought to life with the blooming of the Texas Mountain Laurel, in purple and the Cassias (Sennas) in bright yellow. These two plants are among the first bloomers and a sure sign that spring has arrived! The Texas Mountain Laurel can be grown as a large shrub or a small tree. It is an evergreen plant, with bright glossy green leaves. The clusters of purple flowers that appear, have a distinct aroma of grape kool-aid or grape bubble gum. The Cassias (or Sennas as known to some) include the Green Cassia, Feathery Cassia and Sickle Leaf Cassia. These desert shrubs are hardy to 15°F-20°F depending on the variety. The bright yellow blooms are quite showy. Not to be out done, a couple of trees will also be blooming early. The Flowering Plum, a small tree, will be decorated with pink flowers right before the purple leaves emerge. The Flowering Pears (Aristocrat, Bradford, and Chanticleer) are the ornamental type, not bearing fruit, will be covered in white flowers.

Fruit trees are also prolific bloomers. Different varieties will have different flowers. Some are simple and delicate looking, where others are full and vividly colorful. There will be the whites of apple trees, pale pinks of apricots, and the darker pinks of some of the peaches. Redbud Trees (Eastern, Mexican, and Western) will be showing their delicate magenta blooms too. They will flower before leaves appear. Gaining in popularity, these trees prefer some afternoon shade in our climate, best planted with north or east exposure.

A few other plants that will be amongst the first to show off will be the Valentine Bush, in bright red tubular flowers, and the Bush Morning Glory, a mounding silvery-gray leaved bush that will be covered in white flowers. The Creeping Rosemary will be adding hints of blue with its flowers. Don’t forget the Gopher Plant, with its spiky gray-green foliage and yellow clusters of flowers. The Indian Hawthorns (Pink Lady, Pinkie, and White) will display their colors usually through mid-May. The deciduous lilacs, spiraea and forsythia exhibit their colors about the same time, but may vary by climate zone. Varieties of lavender push up their purple spikes early and last all season. As it starts to warm up a little more, and the days get a little longer, the wildflowers will start popping. These will include the Parry’s Penstemon (pink), Firecracker Penstemon (Red), Globe Mallow (peachy-salmon), and the Desert Marigold (yellow). A few more plants that will be blooming soon: lavender, irises, sages, cacti, ocotillos, Palo Verde trees, plus many more. All of this early spring color is an added benefit of living the desert!