You can, however ensure your garden sports color year-round simply by looking west to the Chihuahuan Desert. There, hardy plants have evolved that are able to thrive and bloom in whatever ...

The plant she is most enthusiastic about is a yellow bird of paradise bush (Caesalpinia gillesii). Despite its highly exotic-looking blooms, it is among the easiest plants to grow.

Native insects have evolved along with native plants, so they recognize them as food. Filling a garden with exotic plants ...

Bright yellow flowers double the visual contrast. Though it appears tender, this cactus is surprisingly adaptable to cold at my elevation, preferring more protected summer locations outdoors.

Precipitation is critical in the fall and winter to prepare plants for flowering in the spring, Kobelt said. She is hopeful the 2022 desert bloom will outshine last year’s and recently spotted ...

In southern California’s Coachella Valley, pale sand dunes sprawl under the desert sun, shifting and re-forming in the wind.

Texas ebony (Ebenopsis ebano): This Texas native is a slow grower and has thorns, but it has beautiful lush dark green leaves and creamy yellow flowers. It’s hardy to 20 F and can take full sun.

I once lived in Yeruham, in the northern part of Israel’s Negev Desert, and had several of these plants growing in front of my apartment. They went through brutally hot summers without any ...