Agastache rupestris:
Licorice Mint / Sunset Hyssop
Grows 2-3' high. Gray-green, thread-like leaves have
licorice aroma. Orange-purple, tubular flowers bloom mid-summer
to fall and attract hummingbirds.
Needs well-drained soil. Perennial. Dies to ground with first
hard frost. USDA hardiness zones 4-9.
Asclepias linaria:
Pineneedle Milkweed
Usually grows to 3' high and wide.
Green leaves resemble pine needles. Small white flowers in
clusters bloom spring and summer. Attracts butterflies.
Seed capsules 2" long. Food plant for Queen and
Monarch caterpillars. Plant is slightly toxic and sap is
skin irritant. Needs well-drained soil.
Drought-tolerant. Perennial. USDA hardiness zones 9-11.
Asclepias subulata:
Desert Milkweed
A perennial herb growing up to 5' high and as wide. Long, narrow,
upright gray-green stems. Linear leaves appear during rain
and drop in drought. Small pale yellow flowers in clusters
bloom in spring to early summer. Attracts butterflies.
Host plant for Queen and Monarch caterpillars.
Plant is toxic, and sap is skin irritant.
Drought tolerant. Well-drained soil. Full sun to part shade.
Evergreen in warm climates. USDA hardiness zones 9-11.
Asclepias tuberosa:
Butterfly Weed
Grows 2-3' high. Long, narrow, pointed green leaves.
Bright orange flat-topped clusters of flowers bloom in summer.
Deadheading the spent blooms triggers another bloom cycle about
a month later. Attracts butterflies.
Food plant for Gray Hairstreak, Monarch, and Queen
caterpillars.
Prone to aphids which, with the nectar, may attract
hummingbirds. Long taproot prevents transplant.
The roots and sap of this inedible plant are slightly toxic.
Drought tolerant. Well-drained soil. Full sun to part shade.
Perennial. USDA hardiness zones 3-9.
Baileya multiradiata:
Desert Marigold
Grows to 1' high and wide.
Yellow flowers 2" wide. Blooms March to October at intervals.
Reseeds freely. Rabbit resistant.
Very xeric, dislikes frequent water. Needs well-drained soil.
Annual. USDA hardiness zones 7-11.
Caesalpinia gilliesii: Yellow Bird of Paradise
Calliandra eriophylla: Fairy Duster
Calylophus hartwegii:
Fendler's Sundrops
Grows to 1' high and 2' wide. A fast grower spreading by rhizomes
and useful as a ground cover. Yellow flowers 2.5" wide have a
one-day life span. Blooms April to September at intervals.
Cut back in early spring if frost damage or too woody.
Susceptible to flea beetles. Full sun to part shade. Perennial.
USDA hardiness zones 5-9.
Castilleja:
Paintbrush (various species)
Grows to 1' high. Flower brachs in various colors, often red or
orange, to 1.25" long in spikes. Castilleja exserta, Owl's
Clover, is purple. Blooms spring, summer and/or fall depending on species.
Some species, such as
Castilleja integra, are rabbit resistant.
A semi-parasite, Paintbrush needs to be sown with a companion plant.
Penstemon stricta (Blue Penstemon) or any Lupine are preferred
companions in terms of Paintbrush seed production. Almost any companion
plant will do, however, including grass. Annual.
USDA hardiness zones 4-8 generally but varies with species.
Chrysactinia mexicana: Damianita Daisy
Conoclinium dissectum (Eupatorium greggii):
Blue Mist
Grows to 2.5' high and 3' wide. Finely divided green leaves.
Fluffy lavender flowers bloom all summer.
Queen and Monarch butterfly males are drawn to this plant
and use a chemical in its nectar to attract females.
A Chihuahuan desert native that is somewhat tolerant of soil types.
Part shade with low water or full sun with moderate water.
Perennial. USDA hardiness zones 7-10.
Coreopsis tinctoria:
Plains Coreopsis
Grows to 3' high and 1' wide. Yellow flowers 1.25" wide
with a brown center. Blooms June to September.
Attracts butterflies. Well drained soil.
Full sun to light shade. Annual. USDA hardiness zones 3-10.
Cosmos bipinnatus:
Cosmos
A fast grower 2-6' high. Flowers 3-4" wide
with yellow centers and rays of white, pink, rose, purple or crimson.
Blooms summer and fall. Attracts butterflies.
Deadheading spent blooms encourages another bloom cycle. Reseeds freely.
An aphid magnet which may attract hummingbirds.
Drought tolerant: water only if wilting to prevent
long, spindly stems that break in strong winds.
Needs well-drained soil to prevent root rot. Try
growing on a slope or in a raised garden bed. Full sun.
Annual. USDA hardiness zones 3-10.
Cosmos sulphureus:
Yellow Cosmos
A fast grower 1-7' high depending on variety.
Yellow flowers are 3-4" wide.
Blooms summer and fall. Attracts butterflies.
Deadheading spent blooms encourages another bloom cycle. Reseeds freely.
Drought tolerant: water only if wilting to prevent
fungal infections. Needs well-drained soil. Full sun.
Annual. USDA hardiness zones 5-10.
Datura wrightii:
Sacred Datura / Thornapple
Grows to 2' high and 4' wide.
White flowers tinged with lavender, 6" long, bloom May to October.
Entire plant very poisonous. Deer, rabbit and javelina resistant.
Native host plant to caterpillar of Tomato Hornworm moth:
Manduca sexta. Should not be present if tomatoes, chilies, or
eggplant are grown in the same vicinity.
Perennial. USDA hardiness zones 5-10.
Dichelostemma capitatum (D. pulchellum):
Blue Dicks
A lily that grows to 2.5', but usually 6"
to 12" high from a corm (solid bulb without layers).
Blue to pink flowers 1" wide bloom March to April.
Blooms several years after sowing seed, try to obtain corms.
Dormant in drought years. Perennial.
USDA hardiness zones 7-10.
Epilobium canum:
Hummingbird Trumpet
Grows to 2' high and wide. Leaves grayish-green, arching
or upright stems. Reddish-orange flowers 1.5" long in
clusters. Blooms June to October. Attracts hummingbirds.
Reseeds freely. Invasive rhizomes make this a good erosion
control plant on slopes. Cut back to 4" high in winter.
Full sun. Perennial. USDA hardiness zones 8-10.
Erigeron divergens:
Fleabane
This overlooked wild plant grows 6" to 18" high.
Long, narrow, dull green leaves and stems.
One-inch wide flowers have narrow white rays and yellow centers.
Flowers fold up in late afternoon revealing pale purple undersides
and resemble round lavender balls. One plant may have more than
a dozen blooms at one time. Blooms longer than any other flower,
from March to November.
Must have excellent drainage. Prefers very dry, poor, rocky soil.
Rabbit-resistant, but young rabbits will try anything. Needs only
rainfall.
Annual to biennial. USDA hardiness zones 8-10.
Eriogonum umbellatum:
Sulfur Buckwheat
Grows 6" to 18" high and 3' wide. Oval green
leaves are gray underneath. Yellow, orange or white tiny
flowers in 1" wide clusters. Many wild varieties,
most colored white, and much color variability within variety.
Blooms May to August. Must have excellent soil drainage.
Prefers very dry, poor, rocky soil. Best on southern slopes.
Water weekly to establish. Reduce to monthly when new growth
appears. Perennial. USDA hardiness zones 3-8.
Eschscholzia californica:
California Poppy
Grows to 8" high. Orange-yellow flowers 2" wide.
Blooms March to July. Deadheading extends blooms.
Does not transplant. Slightly toxic if ingested.
Annual. USDA hardiness zones 3-9.
Evolvulus arizonicus:
Arizona Blue Eyes
Grows to 1' high. Blue flowers 0.75" wide.
Blooms April to October. Native to Arizona and
New Mexico. Perennial. USDA hardiness zones 7-9.
Fallugia paradoxa: Apache Plume
Gaillardia aristata:
Firewheel
Grows to 2' high and wide. Red flowers 4" wide
with yellow tips bloom June to October. Attracts
butterflies. Deadhead to prolong blooming.
Perennial. USDA hardiness zones 3-8.
Glandularia bipinnatifida:
Dakota Verbena
Grows to 1' high and wide.
Magenta or pink tubular flowers fading to blue with five
flaring lobes, each with a notch, to 0.5" wide,
in a roundish cluster. Blooms March to November.
Attracts butterflies and other insects.
Does not bloom in dry years without supplemental
water. Self-seeds freely. Place in full sun to avoid mildew.
Perennial. USDA hardiness zones 5-8.
Hymenoxys acaulis:
Angelita Daisy
Rapid grower to 1' high and wide. Fragrant linear
green leaves in basal rosettes. Long blooming, fragrant
yellow flowers 1.5" wide. Blooms April to September.
Attracts bees and butterflies.
Deadheading extends blooming period. Poisonous to grazing
livestock. Needs well-drained soil.
Perennial. USDA hardiness zones 6-10.
Ipomoea leptophylla:
Bush Morning Glory
Grows to 3' high and 4' wide. Magenta flowers 1.5"
wide. Blooms June to October. Deep, large, edible, tuberous
root: does not transplant easily. Cut to ground when dormant.
Drought tolerant. Perennial. USDA hardiness zones 5-9.
Justica californica:
Chuparosa
Grows to 4' high and as wide. Grayish-green branches
with few leaves. Red, tubular flowers attract hummingbirds.
Blooms spring and fall. Dies to ground in winter and comes
back quickly in early spring. Plant in well-drained soil.
Full sun or afternoon shade. Perennial.
USDA hardiness zones 8b-10.
Kallstroemia grandiflora:
Arizona Poppy
A plant with prostrate stems that grow to 3' long.
Yellow-orange five-petaled flowers with red centers to
2" wide in bowl shape. Blooms July to October.
Annual. USDA hardiness zones 8b-11.
Lobelia laxiflora:
Red Mexican Lobelia
A plant that grows to 2' high and to 4' wide. Narrow
dark green leaves. Two-lobbed orange-red tubular flowers
are yellow inside, 2" long. Attracts hummingbirds.
Spreads by rhizomes. Invasive in moist soils. Plant is toxic.
Drought-tolerant once established but appearance improves
if watered twice a month when rainfall is lacking.
Well-drained soil. Full sun. Perennial.
USDA hardiness zones 7-11.
Lupinus sparsiflorus:
Desert Lupine
Grows to 1.5' high. Blue and white pea-like flowers
in spikes bloom March to June. All parts of plant are poisonous.
Deer and rabbit resistant. Needs well-drained soil. Full sun.
Annual. USDA hardiness zones 7-10.
Lupinus succulentus:
Arroyo Lupine
Grows to 2' high and 1' wide. Blue and white fragrant
flowers in spikes. The white part turns purple after
pollination. Reseeds easily. Food plant for Painted Lady
caterpillar. All parts are poisonous. Deer and rabbit resistant.
Spreading roots make this a good, if temporary, erosion control
plant on banks. Drought tolerant. Needs well-drained soil.
Full sun to avoid fungal diseases.
Blooms April to June. Annual. USDA hardiness zones 3-10.
Machaeranthera tanacetifolia:
Tansyaster / Tahoka Daisy
Grows 6" to 1.5' high and twice as wide.
Gray-green, sticky-hairy, many-branched leaves.
Flowers have narrow purple rays with yellow disks 1"
to 1.5" wide. Blooms May to November with large
concentration of flowers in September. Reseeds freely from
white puffball seedheads. Full sun or part shade.
Perennial herb. USDA hardiness zones 2-9.
Many species of purple asters are found in Arizona.
Several are suitable for the wildflower garden and seeds
are easy to collect from puffball seedheads.
Melampodium leucanthum:
Black Foot Daisy
Grows to 1' high and 1.5' wide. Gray-green, narrow
leaves. Honey-scented, white flowers, 1.5" wide with
yellow eyes, bloom March to October. Attracts
butterflies. Poisonous to livestock. Deer and rabbit
resistant. Deep taproot makes it difficult to transplant once
established. Perennial. USDA hardiness zones 7-11.
Mirabilis jalapa:
Four O'clock
Grows to 3' high and as wide. Fragrant flowers,
2" long in red, pink, yellow or white, open late
afternoon. Blooms in summer. Attracts hummingbirds.
Self-seeds freely. Seeds and other parts of plant poisonous.
Dies to the ground each winter. Full sun or part shade.
Perennial. USDA hardiness zones 7b-11.
Oenothera missouriensis:
Missouri Evening Primrose
Grows to 6" high and 2' wide. Yellow, fragrant
flowers 4" wide bloom daytime June to September.
Deadhead to prolong blooming. Blooms second year from seed
after tuber formation. Divide clumps every three years to
encourage flowering. Deer resistant.
Perennial. USDA hardiness zones 3-9.
Oenothera speciosa:
Mexican Evening Primrose
Grows to 1' high and 3' wide or more, spreading
by rhizomes to form rosettes of medium-green leaves.
White to pink 2" wide fragrant flowers. Blooms in
daytime April to October. A good ground cover for a dry area,
but can be invasive. Dormant in hottest part of summer.
Susceptible to flea beetles. Full sun to part shade.
Perennial. Dies to ground in winter.
USDA hardiness zones 5-9.
Penstemon barbatus:
Scarlet Penstemon
Grows to 4' high and 1' wide. Red tubular flowers
1.5" long arrayed on spikes bloom May to September.
Removing spent blossoms after spring bloom will allow
summer and fall flowering. Attracts hummingbirds.
Drought tolerant. Well drained soil. Full sun to part shade.
Perennial. USDA hardiness zones 4-9.
Penstemon palmeri:
Palmer's Penstemon
Grows to 5' high and 2' wide. Blue-green,
boat-shaped leaves surround stem. Large, 1.5" long,
fragrant, light pink to white flowers in clusters.
Blooms in spring or summer. Attracts hummingbirds.
Reseeds freely. Very drought tolerant, do not overwater.
Needs very well drained, poor soil.
Avoid fertilizer and mulching. Full sun.
Perennial. USDA hardiness zones 6-10.
Penstemon parryi:
Parry's Beardtongue
Grows to 3' high and 2' wide. Wide-mouthed, tubular
flowers, 3/4" inch long, are pink to magenta.
Blooms in spring. Attracts hummingbirds and large
butterflies such as the Pipevine Swallowtail.
Well-drained soil. Supplemental water improves appearance.
Full sun. Perennial. USDA hardiness zones 9-10.
Penstemon pinifolius:
Pineleaf Penstemon
Grows to 1.5' high and 2' wide. Pine-needle leaves.
Narrow red-orange flowers bloom April to September.
Attracts hummingbirds. Perennial.
USDA hardiness zones 4-10.
Penstemon pseudospectabilis:
Canyon Penstemon
Grows to 2' high and wide. Boat-shaped, green leaves
surround stem. Magenta flowers 0.75" long in clusters
bloom March to May. Attracts hummingbirds.
Perennial. USDA hardiness zones 5-9.
Phacelia campanularia:
Desert Bluebell
Grows to 1' high and wide. Deep blue flowers 1"
long are fragrant, bloom March to June. Attracts bees.
Does not transplant. Annual. USDA hardiness zones 5-10.
Psilostrophe cooperi:
Paper Flower
Grows to 1.5' high and 2' wide. Slender, stem-like,
grayish-green leaves. Yellow flowers 1" wide turn
papery with age and remain on plant. Blooms April to October.
Perennial. USDA hardiness zones 8-11.
Scrophularia macrantha:
Redbirds in a Tree
Grows to 3' high, 1.5' wide. Lance-shaped dark green
leaves. Red puffy flowers clustered in spires to 0.75"
long. Blooms mid-summer to frost. Stalks tend to lean;
grow with other tall perennials to provide support.
Drought tolerant. Best in part shade. Perennial.
USDA hardiness zones 5-10.
Senna hirsuta v. glaberrima:
Slimpod Senna
Grows to 4' high. Green, lance-shaped leaflets.
Yellow flowers 1" wide in showy clusters bloom in summer
after rains start. Flowers do not produce nectar. A food
plant for Cloudless Sulphur and Sleepy Orange
caterpillars. Drought-tolerant. Needs well-drained soil.
Likes banks next to dry washes. Full sun to part shade.
Perennial. Dies to the ground each winter and grows back
from its roots. USDA hardiness zones 8-9.
Senna wislizenii:
Shrubby Senna
Grows to 5' high. Yellow flowers 1" wide in
clusters bloom spring and summer. Does not produce nectar.
A food plant for Cloudless Sulphur and Sleepy Orange
caterpillars. Thorny, rangy branches require pruning. Heat
and drought tolerant. Needs well-drained soil.
Deciduous perennial or may die to the ground each winter
and grow back from roots. Full sun. USDA hardiness zones 7b-11.
Tagetes lemmonii:
Mount Lemmon Marigold
Grows to 3' to 6' high and as wide. Aromatic leaves
make this plant deer resistant.
Yellow flowers with orange centers bloom summer to fall.
Attracts butterflies. Low water. Full sun, best at
west-facing wall or high heat situation. Perennial that
dies to ground at first frost. USDA hardiness zones 8-10.
Tecoma stans angustata:
Yellow Bells
Grows to 10' high and nearly as wide. Narrow green leaves.
Yellow bell-like flowers 2" long bloom May to October.
Orange-colored varieties are available at local nurseries.
Attracts hummingbirds.
Well-drained soil. In hot weather, needs moderate water
in full sun or low water in part shade.
Perennial: evergreen in warm climates but dies to the ground
at the first hard freeze and comes back the next spring.
USDA hardiness zones 7-11.
Verbesina encelioides:
Golden Crownbeard
Grows to 3' high. Yellow flowers 2" wide with
puffed yellow-orange centers. Tips of rays have two notches
creating three lobes. Blooms April to December. Attracts
butterflies. Native to American Southwest.
Poisonous to grazing animals.
Food plant for the Bordered Patch caterpillar.
Annual. USDA hardiness zones 6-11.
Zinnia grandiflora:
Prairie Zinnia
Grows 1' high and wide. Yellow flowers 1.5" wide
with orange eye bloom May to October. Attracts butterflies.
Reseeds freely. Annual. USDA hardiness zones 4-9.
