10 Low Maintenance Desert Landscape Plants

Adding any of these low-maintenance plants can be a great compliment to your desert landscape.

1. Valentine Bush

This bush blooms all the way from Christmas to Valentine’s Day. This low-maintenance plant provides a bold red coloring to an otherwise dull desert landscape. The Valentine Bush will grow at a moderate rate, eventually reaching up to four feet in height and four feet in width.

2. Chihuahuan Sage

The Chihuahuan Sage is a fragrant flowering plant that features smaller dark leaves and an unmistakable branch pattern. Growing up to ten feet tall, this plant often attracts area hummingbirds.

3. Sugar Bush

These drought-tolerant bushes require very little water to survive and thrive in the Arizona environment. Any homeowner that chooses to add the Sugar Bush to their land will enjoy the white foliage and fuzzy red berries it produces. The bush will grow anywhere from eight to twelve feet wide.

4. Arizona Rosewood

This large shrub can actually grow up to 25 feet tall and 15 feet wide. Sometimes, it can feature multiple trunks or a single trunk. It is considered a moderate to fast-growing plant. This shrub prefers half sun, yet it can tolerate full sun conditions.

5. Mexican Bird Of Paradise

This evergreen plant is a great addition to any desert landscape. During the warmest parts of the year, this plant can produce bright yellow flower clusters. It is possible to prune back the bush to create a small accent tree, growing up to ten feet tall.

6. Little Leaf Cordia

This medium-sized plant is classified as a fast grower. It is extremely drought-tolerant and prefers a full sun environment. Typically, the plant can grow up to eight feet tall and display sprawling branches with gray leaves.

7. Little Treasure Dwarf Spur Columbine

The flowering plant provides a bright yellow color to the surrounding desert. Its flowers will face upward, reaching toward the sun. This ultimately attracts hummingbirds. Somehow, this plant will only grow to a maximum height of 15 inches.

8. Blue Bells

This low-maintenance shrub features upright flowers. While it prefers full sun, some occasional watering will not hurt. The shrub can attract both bees and hummingbirds.

9. Creosote Bush

Also known as Greasewood, this shrub grows between four to eight feet tall. It is extremely drought tolerant, enjoying minimal water and half-sun exposure. This shrub will attract honeybees in the springtime.

10. Cassia Nemophila

The fast-growing desert shrub can reach a height of six feet. It can handle full sun exposure without much watering. It is fragrant throughout the winter and is an ideal filler plant in a desert backyard.