Hardy Succulents For Your Water Wise Garden

Yuccas

Many of us are familiar with yuccas, having inherited some in our own landscapes that we have either decided to love or plain gave up trying to kill. Some of us like yuccas, and we think that there are some varieties that are really special. If their looks fail to appeal to you, then certainly their rugged, drought, heat & cold tolerance, coupled with the fact that they are evergreen can offer them a home somewhere in your landscape. In the ground or in a container, these show offs will please & perform.

Yucca filamentosa Color Guard- The most dramatic of the selections with bright yellow & green lance shaped, soft leaves. Clump will reach 4’ in height & width & send up 5-6’ stalks of white, bell shaped flower stalks. Zones 5-10, sun to light shade.

Yucca gloriosa Variegata-Rich blue-green leaves with a cream to gold margin are rigid and bold. Tall flower spikes laden with white blooms emerge from the center. In time the 2-3’ clump will form a trunk to 4’ tall. Try this one in any sunny spot, zones 7-10 and see how it punches up your landscape.

Red Yucca- Hesperaloe parviflora- Clumping, grass like mounds of succulent leaves 2-3’ tall, have an arching form, with fibers at the edges that separate & curl. Salmon to red colored flower spikes to 8’ tall emerge periodically throughout the year, attracting hummingbirds. Clumps will spread to about 4’ in width.  Evergreen, with color through the year & drought tolerance to boot!

Agaves

Agaves are perfect for adding architectural forms in the water wise garden. There are several varieties that are hardy here, and we are happy to introduce them to you. Spiny, and anti-social, they are quite winning in the right location (like under your teen-aged son or daughters window) or in a container with other succulents with distinct forms. They all need well drained soil & full sun. Some varieties with glaucous blue foliage, and distinct toothy looking imprints are:

Agave ‘Mr. Ripples’-wide, blue undulating leaves form an upright clump to 5’ x 5’.
Agave Americana – slow grower to 3’x 4’, long blue leaves with spiny tips.

Some agaves with green foliage:

Agave ‘Jaws’-  Glossy green with teeth! Will eventually form a clump 2’tall & 4’ wide. Recommended for that spot where your dog keeps digging. This handsome meanie ought to keep him out.

Agave ‘Green Goblet’- Thick, gray-green leaves form a gorgeous clump reaching 4’ tall x 3’ wide.

Prickly Pear Cactus-Opuntia

Tried & true, prickly pear is another desert plant that performs  even in the scorching heat of a record breaking hot summer. Producing distinct paddles (like mickey mouse, or bunny ears ) Just give them sunshine & well drained soil, & they’ll be trouble free. 2 great varieties are:

Santa-rita Tubac- great big paddles with ferocious spines produce vivid yellow flowers. The paddles turn a rich purple in late summer, adding color to outstanding form. Grows 4’ tall & 6’ wide, Zones 7-11.

Polka Dot Prickly Pear- Soft looking polka dots are meaner than they look! Producing yellow blooms, and growing 3-4’ Tall & 4-5’ wide, this cute little monster is hardy from zones 5-10.

Sedums & Stonecrops

There are many varieties of ground cover sedums, like the bright,  rosy tinged “Angelina” or the steely “Blue Spruce” that will grow where others simply faint from the heat. Low growing  & semi-evergreen, they make good ground covers or add texture in container plantings. Hens & chicks are another old favorite whose latin name, sempervivum, means live forever- a good indication!

With the weather heating up & rain nowhere in the forecast, we’d be wise to treat our landscapes like deserts, and take some cues from parts of the world where water is scarce & plants & people know how to make it last.