Hey there readers.
Use My Guy here with another addition to the series on xeriscaping your
property. This week I will introduce you
to some amazing trees and shrubs that thrive on very little water. These trees and shrubs provide great shade,
color and variety for your yard and will soon become home to many native
species of birds and friendly pollinators.
Remember that
xeriscaping is the practice of using native plants that help to reduce your
water usage. This is extremely important
because we live in a state where we receive very little annual rainfall. This summer has been particularly dry with
only 1.88 inches of rain to date for the last six months. This information will hopefully help you to
create a back or front yard paradise that saves you thousands of gallons of
water a year and still allows you to enjoy the beauty that comes with having a
large variety of flora. These trees and
shrubs will only need to be watered once a week at the most after you have
gotten them situated which will save you both time and money.
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| Afghan Pine |
All right, enough
of the lecture let’s get to the good stuff.
First on today’s list is the Afghan Pine or Elderica pine. This tree is for those of you who love the
look of pine trees but realize that typical pines are not suited for desert
living. This hardy tree is native to Afghanistan
as its name suggests and needs very little supplemental watering. Even in a drought year such as this the
sturdy Elderica pine only needs to be watered twice a month for about ten
minutes. This pine is a fast grower and
can grow to about fifty feet in maturity.
This pine was grown by Persian royalty and was so prized that it was
forbidden for commoners to own one.
Because of this it earned the sur-name Royal Pine. If you are from somewhere like Colorado and
miss the look of pine trees then check this bad boy out. It looks very similar to the mountain pines
and will bring a smile to your face every time you see it.
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| Anacacho Orchid Tree |
Next up we have
the Anacacho Orchid Tree. This is a comparatively
small tree growing to about eight feet in height at its tallest. The Anacacho is native to southwestern Texas
and is a flowering tree that blooms in spring and through summer. The Anacacho needs to be watered weekly and will
reward you with blossoms that range in color from pink to white. Although the Anacacho is a tree that grows to
eight feet if it is not trimmed properly it will be very shrub-like in
appearance. This is a great color
partner for the Afghan pine, its pink and white blossoms will contrast nicely
with the green of the pine needles.
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| Blue Palo Verde |
Blue Palo Verde is
next on our list. This is an Arizona
native that is actually the state tree of Arizona. The Palo Verde doesn’t need
any supplemental watering. This is a
great shade tree because its foliage grows out very wide, kind of like a
canopy. The Blue Palo Verde also has
beautiful yellow blossoms that bloom throughout most of spring and last well
into the hottest part of summer and as a bonus the seed pods that it grows are
actually edible and provided sustenance to the natives for centuries. This is a very fast grower and can grow up to
thirty by thirty feet. Just think of how
much shade that is. Basically it is like
having a thirty foot canopy in your back yard.
Just make sure you trim it on a regular basis, if left untended this
tree has a habit of becoming overgrown very quickly and when it is not trimmed
properly it is difficult to make good use of the shade. The reason for this being that it will grow
like a shrub if it is not trimmed.
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| Chilean Mesquite |
The Chilean
Mesquite is a desert favorite. It requires
no supplemental watering, blooms in the spring and there are thorn-less
varieties. This is an extremely
versatile tree because it not only grows into an ideal shape for shade but its
bark can be used for smoking your favorite meats. Like the Blue Palo Verde it is a good idea to
trim it on a regular basis to get the most out of the shade it provides.
The last tree I am
going to talk about today is the Desert Willow.
This is one of my favorite desert trees because it is extremely hardy
and provides wonderful shade year round.
It also has beautiful purple blooms that start in spring and last
through the beginning of June. The blooms attract many different varieties of butterflies and hummingbirds.
If you decide to plant these trees in your yard you will be in for a treat because they all have beautiful blooms and will attract many different species of local fauna into your yard. You will also save quite a bit of money because most of these trees require no supplemental watering. So do yourself and Arizona a favor and get on the xeriscape train, you won’t regret it.
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looking for a landscaper we understand how hard it can be to find someone you
trust that’s why we here at Use My Guy Services are on the Better Business
Bureau where we have an A+ rating. We
are also on Angie’s List where we have a 5 star rating in addition to
winning the Super Service Award for 2015.
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because we are your trusted source for all your handyman needs from plumbing
and electrical to shelf hanging and irrigation maintenance, installation and
repair. Call us at (602)316-9187 to
speak with a member of our friendly and helpful staff or check us out online
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family and how you can be a part of it.
Thanks for reading.
Use My Guy
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