Shrubs

We recommend the following shrubs for Tucson, AZ and low desert regions of Southern Arizona. Shrubs are a versatile group of plants that give form and substance to a landscape. They can divide large areas into small ones, hide unsightly views, and many shrub plants provide colorful blooms. The following shrubs are drought-tolerant and are ideal for water-efficient landscaping.

Photo	Name	Description
Click on photos or the name of the shrub for more information
	Woolly Butterfly Bush Buddleia marrubiifolia	The Woolly butterfly bush grows to 5 feet tall and wide, maintaining a dense form with little maintenance. The small, intricate orange flowers are attractive to butterflies.
	Yellow Bird of Paradise Caesalpinia gilliesii	Yellow Bird of Paradise is well-suited to our low desert climate. A multi-trunked shrub with compound leaves and beautiful yellow flowers that look like birds about to take flight.
	Red Bird of Paradise Caesalpinia pulcherrima	From March to October this tropical-looking shrub produces spectacular orange flowers. Red Bird of Paradise tolerates nearly all soil types and is well-suited to our desert climate.
	Mexican Bird of Paradise Caesalpinia mexicana	The Mexican Bird of Paradise has lush green, ferny foliage and bright yellow flowers. It will tolerate more heat than most. A large shrub that grows fairly rapidly to 15 feet tall.
	Green Feathery Cassia Cassia nemophila	A very tough and drought-tolerant shrub, the Green Feathery Cassia will survive under desert conditions or near coastal regions. Its bright yellow flowers are quite showy.
	Baja Fairy Duster Calliandra californica	Baja Fairy Duster has ferny green foliage and an open, irregular form that blends well in desert-themed landscapes. Scarlet red, tufted flowers provide year-round color.
	Hop Bush Dodonaea viscosa	The Hop Bush is drought-tolerant with an upright, branching form that reaches a height of 12 feet with a 10 foot spread. Willow-like leaves turn a reddish shade in the winter.
	Chuparosa Justicia californica	A sprawling shrub 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide. Succulent green stems with red-orange, tubular flowers appear in late winter and spring. Hummingbirds love the Chuparosa.
	Mexican Honeysuckle Justicia spicigera	Mexican Honeysuckle is a medium-sized shrub with clusters of bright orange, tubular flowers. It is fairly drought-tolerant, but needs a little extra water in the summer.
	Texas Sage Leucophyllum frutescens	Texas Sage thrives in the hot, muggy monsoon season. Plant this shrub in full sun and reflected heat locations. Purple-pink flowers. The hotter it gets, the better it likes it!
	Green Cloud Leucophyllum frutescens variety 'Green Cloud'	Green Cloud has dark green leaves and blooms beautiful, rose-purple flowers in the summer. This variety of Leucophyllum is larger than its relatives, growing to 8 feet tall.
	Chaparral Sage Salvia clevelandii	The soft gray-green foliage of the Chaparral Sage shrub is extremely aromatic. The flower spikes are this plant's most striking feature, with clusters of blue-violet flowers.
	Autumn Sage Salvia greggii	In the spring and fall this small 3-foot shrub blooms profusely with brightly colored flowers, attracting hummingbirds. Autumn sage comes in a wide variety of flower colors.
	Orange Jubilee Tecoma X Hybrid 'Orange Jubilee'	A hybrid shrub with orange flowers and few seed pods. It grows 8-10 feet tall and wide. Orange Jubilee flowers are trumpet-shaped and appear during the warm season.
	Mount Lemmon Marigold Tagetes lemmonii	Mt. Lemmon Marigold has medium green leaves and is quite fragrant. Daisy-like flowers bloom from early November till hard frost. This shrub grows to 3 feet tall by 4 feet wide.