Trees
Desert Willow/Chilopsis linearisThis is an overgrown deciduous bush that can hardly be called a tree except that it is 10'x 10' when mature. It is native to the area and can grow in washes with no supplementary water. The flowers are either a bright magenta, or pale pink.
Chitalpa/Chitalpa x tashkensis
This is an overgrown deciduous bush that can be trimmed into an excellent shade tree with multiple trunks. In May it is covered with bunches of pale pink flowers. It is xeric however the roots will extend a long way seeking water.
Pineapple Guava/FeijoaThis is an evergreen, naturally dwarf, late harvest fruit tree. The flower petals are delicious.
Mexican Palo Verde/Parkinsonia aculeata
This is a small nearly leafless xeric tree known for its green bark. The sweet-pea like yellow flowers appear in the Spring for a short time. The tree can be tall, as this one is, or it can be spreading.
PomegranateThis is an overgrown deciduous bush that can be pruned to be a small tree. It requires little water and grows well in Barstow. The juice of course is fashionably healthy.
This is a small tree that will grow with very little water. However it does better in other parts of the country where it receives more water. The leaves are purple in the Fall. And in May it has purple blossoms that from a distance look like smoke.
Shrubs
Brittle Bush/Encelia farinosaMine died this winter, so I do not have a picture of it. It is native to the area, but needs a small amount of shelter. And it reacts badly to watering.
Desert Bird of Paradise/Caesalpinia gillesii
This is a scraggly xeric desert bush that has distinctive red and yellow flowers in the Spring. They reseed freely. In fact, this one is a seedling.
California Fairy Duster/Calliandria eriophylla
This is a native, xeric plant that is not very attractive. The Barbados Fairy Duster/Baja Fairy Duster with their bright red flowers are lovely and do survive in some parts of Barstow, but they are marginal and will not grow for me. I am not including a picture because my plant is very scraggly with rather unattractive pale pink fluffy flowers.
This shrub is native to the Lucerne Valley/Deep Creek area. As that area has only slightly more rain than Barstow, once it is established, it does not need any water. The entire plant is furry and some people are sensitive to that. The bright yellow flowers turn a copper color as they age. My plant is relatively young. The mature plant can grow to 10'x 10'.
Lavender Cotton/Santolina chamaecyparissus
This is a low, xeric shrub that can almost be considered a groundcover. When it blooms it is covered with flowers like yellow buttons. The drawback is that the flowers must be sheared off after they bloom, or the plant will die.
Oleander/Nerium oleander
Oleanders are large evergreen shrubs that can be trimmed as hedges or small trees. Their flowers vary from white as shown here, to a bright pink. All parts of the plant are poisonous.
I almost left out the Creosote Bush! It is so much a part of our local landscape that we may not notice the small bright yellow flowers in May, and the tiny puff balls that follow them. However the bees and the hummingbirds find them. This is the species plant that defines our part of the Mojave Desert. Obviously this plant is very xeric, and once started, does not need any water at all. It reseeds freely.
This plant is available as everything from a rather woody groundcover to a large shrub. A thornless relative of Pyracantha, it is better known for its red berries in the winter than for its flowers. However, at this time of year it is covered with small white flowers. The plant is xeric.
Curry Plant/Helichrysum italicum
This small shrub smells like curry. The leaves are not edible, but can be used to flavor foods and then removed. It is very xeric as can be guessed from its scientific name and the color and shape of its leaves
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Groundcovers
This yarrow is evergreen. it will take light foot traffic and spreads well.
Gazanias come in all colors of flowers and bloom all summer long. The individual plants spread sideways rather than growing tall. They reseed. None the less I do not consider them a satisfactory groundcover in Barstow as they require regular water; the individual plants do not live long; and they do not reseed freely enough to be self-perpetuating.
A xeric groundcover, these are seen all over town, and along the freeway by the Lenwood exit. They are a little unpredictable as some years they actually do cover the ground while other years they don't come up at all.
Considered a groundcover, this rose spreads rather than forming a shrub.
Perennials
This plant grows in full shade with regular water. The leaves inspired one of the forms of capitals for pillars in ancient Greece. The plant is lovely, the flowers interesting.
This small plant is marginal to the area. Mine come up every year in a flower garden that is in full shade and receives regular water. The flowers vary from white to red.
I suppose this could be considered a ground cover. It is a native to the Mojave Desert and can be started by throwing a few seeds around the yard. Of course it is very xeric. It grows as a vine, like all gourds. The fruit is dry and inedible, but can be used for decoration like all gourds.
Hesteraloes can have either red or yellow flowers. This one, a little redder than most, is called "Brake Lights." The plant is very xeric. While related to the yuccas and nolinas, this plant belongs to a different genus. When it is not blooming, it is a somewhat unattractive grasslike clump.
I threw out a variety of seeds given to me by my daughter who lives in Pennsylvania. This is the only species that grew. The flowers come in blue and white. This particular version is called "Persian Jewels." The seed pots are very interesting and work well in dried arrangements. The plant reseeds freely, but needs regular water.
Nolina funifera
Like the yuccas, nolinas are desert plants, well adapted to Barstow. Unlike yuccas, the leaves do not have sharp points. However the flowering stalks are not as pretty as yuccas.
Yuccas
Several different species of Yucca bloom in May. Yuccas are mainly distinguished by the stiffness of their leaves, how high they hold their stalks of blossoms, when they bloom, and the overall shape of the plant.
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| Soaptree Yucca |
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| Weeping Yucca |
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| Our Lord's Candle |
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| Yucca blossoms |
Pink and white hardy water lilies are the only plants I have been able to grow in my outdoor koi pond. The fish eat everything else. The water lilies die back every year, but are certain to return and start blooming in the Spring. Obviously they require a lot of water.
Peonies are rarely seen in California, but they do grow here. They die back in the winter, but come out in the Spring to form a bush 3'x 3'. Some years the heat and wind dry out the flowers before they fully open, but this year they are beautiful. Perhaps I finally have the water adjusted properly. Like other flowers commonly grown in the eastern part of the country, they require regular water.
Several years ago, this was the last of its kind in the nursery. I have been looking for more ever since, and finally found a few. This is one of the xeric penstemons that grows well here. The blue color adds a nice touch to the garden.
This Penstemon comes in shades of pink and rose. Usually the flowers are larger than other penstemons, hence the name. It is one of the few that grow well in Barstow. And of course it is xeric.
I have thrown out seeds of this plant several times, and once in a while one of them comes up and flowers. For my daughter in Pennsylvania, they are almost invasive, but do not do well here, at least for me. They require regular water.
This is a similar flower that does very well in Barstow. In fact it reseeds freely and comes up with all sorts of interesting varieties of blooms. It blooms all summer long and into the Fall as do the Verbena and Allysum that are shown with it in this picture.
Cactus
In addition, there are a number of different Cacti that bloom this time of year.
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| Beavertail Cactus |
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| Red Torch Cactus |
Cholla/Cylindropuntia imbricata
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| Santa Rita Cactus |
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| Bunny Ears |
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