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Index : Flowers - Perennials
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- 13. Why Not Plant Some Perennial Flowers this Fall - Top
- When people think of perennial flowers, they imagine finicky plants that need a lot of attention. That's true for many perennials, especially the ones we grew in northern gardens. But there are a number of hardy perennials that aren't difficult to grow and add so much in the way of color and interest to our desert landscapes. This fall is the perfect time to plant some and give them a try!
All things considered, probably the best group of perennials to plant here in Tucson are the Penstemons. There are several native desert species that love the heat and grow well in our hard, rocky soils. All have flower spikes lined with bright tubular flowers, set high above clusters of attractive foliage. Penstemon eatonii, the Firecracker Penstemon has fiery scarlet-red flower spikes three feet high. P. parryi, Parry's Penstemon has deep pink flowers with spikes reaching 4 feet in height. P. pseudospectabilis, Canyon Penstemon has rose-pink to purple flowers on 2 to 3 foot flower spikes. P. superbus has large deep red to scarlet flowers bourne on 4 foot spikes. All flower in the spring.
Salvias are another group of perennials well-suited to desert landscapes. They also have tubular flowers that range in color from light blue to deep purple. All have gray-green to silvery-green leaves. Salvia clevelandii, Cleveland Sage produces whorls of blue flowers set on flowering stems set well above the 2 to 4 foot tall shrub. Salvia farinacea, Mealy Cup Sage at two to three feet tall is the smallest of the Salvias. The dark purple or violet-blue flowers rise 6 to 8 inches above the gray-green leaves. Salvia leucantha, Purple Mexican Sage is the tallest growing at 3 to 6 feet in height with another foot added by the purple-calyxed flowers.
Other desert-adapted perennials well worth growing include; pink flowering Guara, yellow flowering Arizona Columbine, yellow flowering Calylophus, White Evening Primrose, and the pink-flowering Mexican Primrose. A word of caution though, Mexican Primrose is so tough it may spread into areas you didn't want it in.
All of the above mentioned perennials can grow in full sun, but can tolerate some light shade. They are also capable of growing in unamended desert soil, but will grow and flower better if some amendment is mixed into the soil. When preparing the area to be planted, dig the soil to a depth of 12 inches, removing any sizable rocks as you go. Mix a two inch layer of organic amendment into the soil. The organic matter can be home or bagged-commercial compost, aged cow or horse manure, peat moss, or bagged top soil high in peat.
Smooth the area to be planted. To start off with, plant just a few perennials. If you like the results, next year plant some more. Select healthy plants from the garden store. Most perennials are grown in 1 gallon pots. You can also start them from seed. When buying plants it's most important to examine the roots. Do this by inverting the pot and gently pulling the root-ball out. Roots should be around the outside of the soil ball. They should be light-colored, not black or gray and mushy.
Before planting, pull any circling roots out and away from the outer edge of the root ball. By doing so, these roots will be in a position to grow directly into the surrounding soil. Left undisturbed, circling roots will continue to grow around the root core and will eventually strangle the plant.
Be careful to locate the plant so that the top of the root ball is flush with or slightly higher than the surrounding soil surface. Fill back in and around the roots with soil, firming by hand to make sure there are no air pockets left around the roots.
During the initial establishment period, perennials should be watered daily. After two or three weeks the days between waterings can be gradually increased. By late autumn two to three waterings weekly should suffice. In winter when temperatures are cool, one watering per week may be sufficient. But when warm weather arrives in the spring, watering will need to be increased. After flowering, watering can generally be reduced to 2 or 3 times monthly.
Finally, apply a surface mulch such as ground cedar mulch, forest mulch or compost. Mulch helps retain soil moisture and moderates soil temperatures.
Written by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona, 520-626-5161. - Updated: October 19, 2003
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