To be perfectly honest, the seasons don’t change all that much in the Desert, and in many ways the months just past in a blur of summer, early summer, late summer, what in the world were we thinking of moving here summer, and oh my gosh, now I remember why we feel lucky to live here SPRING! Although the season doesn’t quite last the entire three months it is scheduled, these days are our favorite ones, as we go to Spring training games, take hikes up Camelback Mountain, and sit out on our porches admiring the spring flowers that miraculously seem to bloom even during the drier years. If you are still working on your landscaping and are feeling the urge to stare at something pretty after a long day on the job, this guide to desert flowers that bloom in the spring will ensure you have time to stop and smell the roses without wasting the deserts most precious resource! These Arizona flowers require little water and are bred to survive the desert’s harsh temperatures.
Something Wild
Spring is when the wildflower seeds you sprinkled in the yard earlier in the season come to bloom, creating a rich and wild landscape that just makes onlookers happy when they see it! The wonderful thing about desert living, however, is that even if you didn’t sprinkle any seeds, you may still wake one day to red or orange California poppies, desert lavender, wild geraniums, or lupines waving happily in the spring breezes. It’s not magic, however, as you can thank the desert winds that blow strong or the birds that carry the seeds from your neighbor’s yard to yards all over the valley! Although the flowers require little to no watering on your part, the wetter the spring, the more they will flourish!
Prickly and Pretty Arizona Flowers
Residents who aren’t native to the desert are surprised the first time they see a beautiful bloom on a prickly cactus, but they soon get used to it and fall in love! April is the blooming time for many spiny cacti, including the prickly pear, whose fruit transforms into a stunning fuchsia colored bloom! The saguaro, Arizona’s state cactus, isn’t just a centuries old symbol of desert life and home to cactus wrens; rainy springs often bring about large white blooms with yellow centers, adding a touch of cheer to the mostly arid landscape! And although the barrel cactus is super prickly and rather plain most of the year, in the spring it flourishes with cheerful yellow and flashy orange blooms that create a colorful display you will love. Chollas, often called jumping cactus, offer orange or yellow blooms as well, but if you have children or pets, this is one cactus you might want to avoid!
Buzzing Bushes
Ok, the bushes themselves aren’t buzzing, but if you have lived here any amount of time, you have probably noticed silvery green bushes featuring yellow or purple blooms buzzing like crazy as you pass by on your spring evening walks. These sage bushes attract bees and butterflies and are a perfect addition to your spring garden, especially if you have a larger section that you want to fill in with something pretty! Another bush plant with incredible red or orange blooms is the Bird of Paradise, which will stay in bloom through the summer if the soil is kept moist and the plant is placed in full sunshine. This hardy desert plant thrives on the sun, and although it does require a little more water than most desert plants, the dramatic beauty it will give your landscape will more than make up for the little extra effort involved with keeping it healthy. This plant will not bloom if it is not mature or if it doesn’t get enough sun, but otherwise it is not temperamental!
Go Big and Stay Home
The benefits of a tree when planted close to your house are innumerable, including saving at least 25% on summer electric bills, but did you know there are also desert trees that bloom? The jacaranda tree is our favorite, presenting beautiful lavender blooms that give your landscape an ethereal feeling that never fails to awe! Blooming in April through early spring, even when the flowers fall to the ground this tree continues to excite as it creates a purple carpet that has to be seen to be believed! The mesquite tree also brightens the landscape with masses of yellow or yellowish green flowers that shine in the spring and early summer and since this tree was born to thrive in arid conditions, it is the perfect addition to your desert landscape, saving you money as it brightens your day!
Be Proud of Your Yard
Our homes are our sanctuaries, and we want to be as proud of the exterior as we are of the interior, so give New Image Landscape and Pools a call today and let’s get started making your yard bloom for spring!
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