Re: plants for the southwest

You didn't specify if you want to get her a blooming shrub or a  perennial. 
Any Texas or Desert native would do well.   Personal  favorites for hot/dry 
(such as San Antonio, Austin, El Paso)......there are  others that do well, but 
these are the most drought tolerant:
Agaves, Asclepias (great for Monarchs), Bougainvilla, Bulbine, Cacti,  
Caesalpinias (either pulcherrima or gilliesii), Calliandra (Powderpuff), Canna  
lily, any Cassia (aka Senna), native Clematis, Cordia boissieri, Coreopsis,  
Cycads, Dalea, Dasylirion, Duranta, Gaura lindheimeri, Hamelia (Hummingbird  
shrub), Hechtias, Hespereloe parviflora (Red Yucca, but not a true yucca),  
Hibiscus, Iris, various Jatropha, Justicias (shrimp plants), Lantanas, any  
Leucophyllum, Malpighia glabra (barbados cherry), Malvaviscus (Turk's Cap),  Mascagnia 
vines, any Muhlenbergia grass, Passiflora vines (great for Gulf Coast  
frittilary butterflies), Pavonia (rock rose), various native Penstemons,  Plumbago, 
Plumeria, Ratibida columnifera (Mexican Hat), Rosemary, Ruellias,  Salvia, 
Santolina, Sophora (especially Texas Mountain Laurel, and the  smaller S. tomentosa 
with it's evergreen gray foliage and beautiful droops  of yellow......also 
Eve's necklace with pink blooms), Tagetes lucida (Mexican  tarragon.....can be 
used for culinary purposes as well, especially since the  other tarragon does 
not grow here), any Tecoma (T. stans with it's yellow  flowers is beautiful), 
Verbena do very well.
 
Hope this helps..
Noreen
zone 9
Texas Gulf Coast
 
In a message dated 2/6/2006 2:25:16 PM Central Standard Time,  
gardenchat-owner@hort.net writes:

I'm in  the process of birthday shopping for my mom and would like some  
recommendations from the dry/hot climate members of this group.  What  
have you had success growing (and keeping alive) through drought  
conditions?  My mom is in Austin TX and they've had very little water  
(and she can't seem to adapt to changing her watering patterns).   Soooo- 
trying to find something garden-tested that might  survive.
Theresa

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