Blog

Cascalote Tree

Caesalpinia cacalaco (also listed as Tara cacalaco) | Also called: Cascalote, Mexican Bushbird Most trees in Phoenix do their best work in spring and summer. The Cascalote does the opposite. It saves its flower show for late fall through winter

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Bottlebrush Tree

Callistemon viminalis (Weeping Bottlebrush) / Callistemon citrinus (Lemon Bottlebrush) | Also called: Weeping Bottlebrush, Crimson Bottlebrush, Scarlet Bottlebrush The Bottlebrush is one of those trees that earns its place in Phoenix landscapes on looks alone. The flowers are unlike almost

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Vitex (Chaste Tree)

Vitex agnus-castus | Also called: Chaste Tree, Chasteberry, Monk’s Pepper Tree, Lilac Chaste Tree If you want a tree that blooms its head off in the Phoenix summer heat while everything else looks like it’s surviving rather than thriving, the

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Desert Willow Tree

Chilopsis linearis | Also called: Flowering Willow, Mimbre, Desert Catalpa The Desert Willow might be the best flowering tree for Phoenix that most people underestimate. It’s native, it’s tough, it blooms from late spring all the way into fall, it

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Texas Olive Tree (Anacahuita)

Cordia boissieri | Also called: Mexican Olive, Anacahuita, White Cordia There are a handful of trees that stop people in their tracks when they’re in bloom, and the Texas Olive is one of them. Large, crepe-paper-white flowers with a yellow

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STOP Your War On Weeds!

Soil First Your War on Weeds Is Killing Your Soil What weeds are actually trying to tell you about your yard. Walk outside and look at your yard. Most people scan right past everything else and land on the weeds.

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Watering Guide

Watering Guide – Phoenix, AZ | Zone 9B

Learn how to properly water trees and plants in Phoenix with this simple, science-backed deep watering guide. Instead of frequent shallow watering, this method focuses on slow, deep irrigation that strengthens roots, improves drought tolerance, and prevents overwatering. You’ll also

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Phoenix Soil Is NOT Bad

Stop believing the lies, and stop repeating them…our soil is not “bad” and it’s not impossible to grow anything. If our soil was truly “bad” then how did the Native Americans farm here for centuries before we came along? (You

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Growing Strawberries in Phoenix, Arizona (Zone 9b)

  Strawberries thrive in cool, moist conditions, yet the Phoenix metro area (USDA zone 9b) has scorching summers and alkaline, salty soils. Daily temperatures regularly exceed 100°f from May through September and frost may occur during winter. Strawberries stop producing when temperatures

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How to Grow Mangos in Phoenix (Zone 9b)

Mangos can be a backyard success in Phoenix — but they need special care in our low desert conditions. The challenges are real: extreme heat (and cold), alkaline clay soils, salts, monsoon wind, and frost pockets. With smart placement, soil

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