Have your pansies perished or your gardenias gone bye-bye? Maybe it's time to consider plants that love the Tucson summer.
A variety of interesting and bizarre plants from around the world and from around the corner thrive on desert heat:
• Cacti: Everyone knows Tucson is full of cacti, but did you know there are many species of cactus that don't do well in our climate?
Our cold winters will freeze many species from the tropics. Look for cacti that are cold-hardy.
Cacti are only native to North and South America, though many succulent plants that look like them grow in other parts of the world. There are more than 2,000 kinds of cacti.
• Succulent euphorbia: To the untrained eye these plants look just like cacti, but are actually unrelated.
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Native to Africa, there are perhaps 300 species, with dizzying forms from low spheres to fairly large trees. The flowers are quite small. Only a few succulent euphorbias are reliably cold-hardy in Tucson.
• Caudiciforms: These comical-looking plants are not necessarily related to each other, but are similar in growth form. They produce a fat succulent stem base that helps them survive drought. They're popular with collectors for their unique look.
Examples include adenium and some pachypodium species (oleander relatives from southeast Africa and the Middle East), and Uncarina spp (sort of devil's claw-looking plants from Madagascar). Many caudiciforms are not reliably cold-hardy in Tucson.
• Rosettes: Another type of growth form, named for their round, roselike shape. For example, the century plant - which is actually an agave and not a cactus. Aloe, yucca and Manfreda also belong to this group. Many kinds of rosettes are hardy in Tucson. Some aren't, so inquire before you buy.
• Heat-loving leafies: Many herbs, including lemon verbena, sweet basil and rosemary, love summer heat.
Plant vendors from around the Southwest who grow these interesting plants and many more will be on hand at Tohono Chul Park for the annual Monsoon Madness plant sale.
Come learn more about the plants. Plant experts will be available to answer gardening questions and guide you in plant selection.
If you go
• What: Monsoon Madness Plant Sale
• When: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Today
• Where: Tohono Chul Park, 7366 N. Paseo del Norte
• Admission: Free during the plant sale
• To Learn More: Go to www.tohonochulpark.org or call 742-6455 for more information
DID YOU KNOW
"Tohono chul" means "desert corner" in Tohono O'odham.
Source: Tohono Chul Park official guide, online at www.tohonochulpark.org/history.html
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