What Are Good Desert Flowers?

Perennials bloom for years.

The desert may seem like a tough place to grow flowers, but with the right planting location and species selection, you can enjoy a desert flower garden year round. Although many traditional annual flowers such as petunia, zinnia and pansy can be planted in the desert, their bloom period is usually cut short by either heat or cold. An annual flower bed is a lot of work, as you will need to change out plants four times a year. Perennials are easier to grow and will give you many years of pleasure before you need to replace them. If you plant a variety of species, there will be something in bloom all year. These plants are mostly tough natives, so no soil amendments are required.

Perennials with Yellow Flowers

Desert marigold (Baileya multiradiata) is a wildflower native to the Southwest that blooms most of the year in mild climate zones. It is hardy in Sunset Zone 10. (Sunset Publishing has been using their own climate zones for over 35 years to address climates in the west.) This sunny yellow flower has silvery gray leaves. Plant in full sun.

Chocolate flower (Berlandiera lyrata) is another Southwest native perennial and really does smell (and taste) like chocolate. The daisy-like flowers have chocolate-colored centers. Chocolate flower prefers filtered shade, such as under a mesquite tree. It reseeds itself readily. It is hardy in Sunset Zone 10.

Angelita daisy (Hymenoxys acaulis) is another Southwest native perennial with medium green foliage and yellow daisy-like flowers. Angelita daisy prefers afternoon shade.It flowers most of the year.

Perennials with Pink Flowers

Gaura (Gaura lindheimeri) is a semi-evergreen southwest native perennial that has pink to white and pink flowers on long stems. Its airy quality fits its other common name, 'Whirling Butterflies'. Gaura blooms from summer through the fall.It is hardy in Sunset Zone 10. Gaura prefers filtered or afternoon shade.

Parry's Penstemon (Penstemon parryi) has hot pink flowers that bloom in the spring. It prefers filtered or afternoon shade. Parry's penstemon is a native to the southwest deserts, and is hardy in Sunset Zone 10. It will reseed readily.

Perennials with Red Flowers

Firecracker penstemon (Penstemon eatonii) has bright red flowers on a bright green plant. It is a southwest desert native, hardy in Sunset Zone 10. Plant firecracker penstemon in full sun to part shade. It also reseeds readily.

Coral penstemon (Penstemon superbus) is a native to southwest deserts, with blue-green leaves and coral red spring flowers. Like all penstemons, it attracts hummingbirds.

Perennial with Purple Flowers

Moss verbena (Verbena pulchella) is from South America, and hardy in Sunset Zones 12 to 13. The leaves are dark green, with purple flower clusters appearing from spring through fall. Moss verbena can take full sun.

Perennial with Orange Flowers

Globe mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua) is a Sonoran Desert native. It is hardy in Sunset Zone 10. Globe mallow gets larger than the other species mentioned above, so is more shrub-like at 3 feet tall and wide. The gray-green leaves sport orange (and sometimes pink, white or lavender) flowers all summer long.

References

• "Sunset Western Garden Book"; Kathleen Norris Brenzel, Ed.; 2001