Thomas' Top 20
Landscaping Favorites

by Thomas Park, President of Xerophytic Design, Inc.


 

Acacia willardiana "Palo Blanco"
This ornamental tree has the softest texture you could imagine. It blows in the wind, yet is not fragile or messy. The trunk eventually peels leaving an amazing white trunk that is smooth and twisted. Provides light shade without dominating the landscape. Great tree to provide afternoon shade on those full sun succulents.

 

 

 

One of Thomas Park's favorite landscaping design touches, the Acacia Willardiana aka Palo Blanco

 

One of Thomas Park's favorite landscaping design touches, the Agave Desmetiana Variegata

Agave desmetiana variegata
This plant is so versitale you would think its a gymnast. It can be used in formal planters for a Victorian look, masses for that modernist in all of us, accents in a rock garden, and even bold contrast in an English cottage garden. Standing alone is no problem for this guy. The arching leaves are bordered with a yellow stripe. The margins are barely toothed making it very user friendly. Scale-wise, it could not be more perfect, maxing out at 4 foot. The "pups" that form around the base can be pulled off, added to a planter, and then replanted in the garden after the parent blooms and dies.

 

One of Thomas Park's favorite landscaping design touches, the Agave Macroacantha

Agave macroacantha
Extremely drought tolerant agaves are common, but this one is among the best. This Agave forms a small rosette (looks best if you keep removing the pups) with blue leaves and black terminal spines. A few clonal types are available from California that are more bluegray, have thicker leaves, and decreased spination along the leaves.

 

One of Thomas Park's favorite landscaping design touches, the Agave Salminiana

Agave salminiana
What a monster! I have seen it reach 7 feet high with leaves ten inches across. The broad spreading rosette needs room to grow, but what a magnificent plant. Give it some room, plant it in full sun, and watch it take off.

 

Alluadia procera
For sure, my absolute favorite! This plant is from the spine forest of Madagascar (lemur sold separately). In cultivation, it sort of twist and turns and sends up loads of branches in all directions. Kinda like Medusa, but friendlier. After numerous years, 5-20, it will send up one or two gigantic trunks ultimately reaching 20 feet in height. I have seen some in California with a 10" diameter. It is a smidge frost sensitive so don't plant it in the landscape if you are in a cold spot. Does great in full sun, in a pot, on a patio, in the landscape, etc.

One of Thomas Park's favorite landscaping design touches, the Alluadia Procera

 

Aloe striata "Coral Aloe"
Although its been hybridized beyond record, coral aloes are amazing in or out of flower. The rosettes vary from broad spreading leaves (2-3 feet) in shade, to tight short leaves in sun. The margins of the leaves are pink, and in winter the plants take on a red hue lasting late into the spring. Afternoon shade helps take the stress of summer off, but I have grown them year round in full sun on a drip line and they perform great.

 

One of Thomas Park's favorite landscaping design touches, the Aloe Striate aka Coral Aloe

 

One of Thomas Park's favorite landscaping design touches, the Aloe Vaombe

Aloe vaombe
Plant more of me! Its a toss up between these and Alluadias for my number one favorite plant, but hands down an underused plant. Sometimes its hard to come by, but keep searching for it. Even though the leaves are large and green, it can take full sun on a drip line. The trunk should be protected by allowing the old leaves to naturally curl down and cover the truck (forming a "skirt"). I have one with leaves 5 inches wide and 3 feet long. The overall trunk is up to 4 feet now. They reach a maximum size up around 12-15 feet. The blooms are one of the best aloes I have seen. As the plant matures 5-6, 2 foot flower stalks emerge in early winter. The flowers are bright red, last for weeks, and bring the hummingbirds coming back for more.

 

One of Thomas Park's favorite landscaping design touches, the Bismarkia Nobilis aka Bismark Palm

Bismarkia nobilis "Bismark Palm"
Arizona Grown and readily available here in the valley. Probably the biggest, boldest leaves you could use in a landscape. The leaves are 2-3 times that of a Mexican fan, powdery blue, and prominently folded. They take a tremendously long time to form a trunk, so the leaves are part of the landscape for many many years. Check it out and see what you think.

 

One of Thomas Park's favorite landscaping design touches, the Dasylirion Wheerleri aka Desert Spoon

Dasylirion wheerleri "Desert Spoon"
Although very common and widely used, it's one of the staples of any native planting. The rosettes max out around 6 feet across, but then they slowly but surely form a trunk. Their blue hue and long leaves and great texture to the landscape. Lightly trim back leaves that touch the ground to maintain large globular appearance. Doing so makes yard maintenance much easier by decreasing the leaves that get trapped inside them. Don't over prune. We want wide spreading rosettes not 6 leaves on a trunk. Less is always more with pruning.

Dioon edule
Native to Central Mexico where it is also really hot and really dry, these prehistoric palms rock in Phoenix. Unfortunately since they grow about 1 meter of trunk per 500 years, it is really hard to find big ones. Grapefruit sized plants are available with some searching, but they are pricey. Smaller ones with a flush of leaves are stating to flood the market from California if you know whom to contact. hint hint. I found that afternoon shade helps in the dead of summer heat, but otherwise put them on the desert drip line and plant in bright light.

 

One of Thomas Park's favorite landscaping design touches, the Gasteria Acinacifolia

Gasteria acinacifolia
Tied for #3 on my list. I absolutely dig this plant. The individual rosettes grow to 2 foot across, but the plant can have as many as 50 heads at one time. Although after a few years at that size they will need divided. They must have filtered light. The summer sun burns their leaves and being a slow grower, they take a few years to grow out of it. High filtered light is good too because the winter sun mixed with low temps seem to turn Gasterias a beautiful red hue. When planted in pots, I tend to shift them to shade in summer, and high light in winter. The best thing though are the flowers. Hundreds of tiny flamingo heads line the 2 foot stalks. They are spectacular when flowering in masses.

 

One of Thomas Park's favorite landscaping design touches, the Kalanchoe Beharensis

Kalanchoe beharensis
Tied with Gasteria acinacifolia for 3rd. A Madagascar native with huge, ruffled, furry leaves. Can take full morning to mid day sun with no problem on a dripline. This guy grows to 15 feet and has a corky, bonsai trunk. I have seen leaves in botanical gardens almost 2 feet long by a foot wide. Big down side is that it is really frost sensitive. Grows back after damage is done, but unsightly for a few months. Solution, plant in courtyards with canopies, big heavy pots on patios in bright light, or in the ground in warmer parts of the city. I have had success with it in Scottsdale, in preserves areas that are on slopes, and on covered patios. No luck at my house in central Phoenix. Freezes every year.

Livistonia decipiens "Ribbon Palm"
Fairly typical fan palm for shape, form, and height. The leaves are the dramatic part. They look like they were shredded by a cat on catnip. Long pieces hang from the ends in tatters. Very exotic looking. For a lush, tropical accent in any garden, this is a keeper. Hard to find specimens, but their are numerous websites with smaller sized plants available.

Opuntia macrocentra
As prickly pears go, this is the gem. Small, compact growth that is blue year round. In winter and when drought stressed the whole plant gets a pink hue. The spines are truly unique. They are black and 3 inches long, but the later half is white. This one barely needs a drop of water. In fact, when I have used drip on them, they get leggy, lose their great color, and fall apart. So to keep them dense, water heavily when they look dessicated (or every 20 days in summer if no rain). Oh yeah, the flowers are amazing. They look like roses with petals ranging from rose to yellow even on the same plant.

 

Pachypodium species "Madagascar Palms"
Madagascar palms are one of the more unique patio pot plants available. They are cool to look at with their little tuft of palm-like foliage, spiny trunks, and random white flowers. They are drought tolerant, and yet can be heavily watered for rapid growth. Although, I have been known to overwater and rot a few. The key is finding the watering balance for your site to keep their leaves year round and push their growth to get some height. Typically, they grow 4-6 inches a year. With extra water about a foot at best. Remember, they sometimes go dormant in the winter. No leaf no water is the golden rule. A sprinkle here and there when they are dormant will keep them from shrinking and prevent overwatering when they are not taking up water.

One of Thomas Park's favorite landscaping design touches, the Pachypodium species Madagascar Palms

 

Phormium "New Zeland Flax"
The coolest, boldest annual ever. I am sure that, along with myself, other designers wish they were perennial in Phoenix like they are in San Diego. The foliage can reach 3 feet if a 5 gallon is planted as soon as available after Labor Day. They will live from late September until mid June, and then the summer heat gets them. The leaves vary by variety and are broad to narrow, mostly straight sword-like, and amazingly colored. My favorite is the bronze hued ones. They add the perfect accent to color pots, perennial gardens, patios, and pool areas. They rock in full sun, part sun, and even light shade. The colors of the leaves as the sun filters through them is outstanding.

One of Thomas Park's favorite landscaping design touches, the Phormium aka New Zealand Flax

 

Portulacaria afra "Elephant's Food"
Common enough to show up in gas station planters, but don't let that fool you. In tough to establish areas, these are the ticket. They thrive in full sun, hanging pots, planters, confined spaces, and in shade. They are tough to kill, drought tolerant, and spineless. Older plants look great in bonsai dishes.

Sansvieria species
I think this genus has been under-rated for far too long. They are semi-tropical to drought tolerant. Some species can take almost full sun, while others enjoy shade. The leaves vary more greatly than the interior plant, "mother in law's tongue", we all know and love so well, also a Sansevieria. 'Mason Congo', 'Kirchii', and cylindrica and my favorite cultivars and species. They vary so greatly in cultivation that you just really need to try a few in different places and see how they perform. Their form is outstanding for masses, transitional walkways, zen gardens, and modern wok pots.

 

Trichocereues candicans
This species has the best cactus flower of all time. They are huge, more than 5 inches in diameter. These white flowers open at night, and on mature specimens I have had more than a hundred flowers open in one evening. So many flowers were open in fact, that the 5 foot spreading plant below was not visible. Unfortunately they only last for a day indoors. I like to use them in a high traffic areas so the blooms are readily visible. By the way, add a light by them so they are visible at night, or carry a flashlight.

One of Thomas Park's favorite landscaping design touches, the Trichocereues Candicans

 

Trichocereus terscheckii
Most people tend to shy away from columnar cacti because of the spines. Although not completely spineless, the spines on T. terscheckii are short and along the ribs. They are lush green with golden spines and fairly fast growing. Almost a foot a year once established. (I have never seen one flower though.) Occasionally I have seen these in modern landscapes, but they have been in too much shade and growth was distorted. Plant in full sun and add a drip line. They look great staggered as anchor points in a rock garden, when used in a line to create a fence, or as a line in front of a wall. Also check out other closely related Trichocereus. Although they have more spines, they can create the same impact in the landscape

 

One of Thomas Park's favorite landscaping design touches, the Trichocereus Terscheckii

 

 

All photos are copyright Thomas Park, Xerophytic Design, Inc.

For more excellent advice on what will grow and not grow in Phoenix, visit the database at Desert Tropicals.



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