This post has nothing to do with video, but contains what I hope is useful information for anyone trying to garden in the desert. Not gardening for food, but for wildlife and the enjoyment birds, bugs and critters can provide when they are attracted to your yard. I have learned a few things over the last few years, and this is my opportunity to share some of them. Hopefully they may help you with your desert gardening efforts if you live in an area like the one described below.
THE TERRAIN
We live between Albuquerque, NM and Santa Fe at 5300 ft. Winters are cold with freezingatemperatures nightly, often in the teens. Midsummers feature brutally hot afternoons with highs in the 90s to 100s. The New Mexico sun can be noxious and plants that are advertised as "full sun" appreciate some afternoon shade. Spring is always windy. We are USDA Zone 6.5-7 and Sunset Western Gardener Zone 2.
The ground is a rocky clay that masquerades as sand, but can get rock-hard, as only clay can. The dominant plants are junipers and Four-winged Saltbush, both plants that can tolerate long droughts, and since 2018 we have been in one. The monsoon of August-September was weak in 2019 and failed totally in 2020. We are supposed to get 10-12 inches of precipitation per year, but it has been half that.
So if your terrain sounds somewhat like this, or is just dry in general, with a real winter, you may benefit from our experience.
WATER
It goes without saying that you can't garden in the desert without added water. Collect rain water, or use household water, or both. The trick is to get your water to hang around long enough to do the plants some good. Surface watering evaporates very fast. You can almost watch it disappear. Mulch helps, but alone is not enough. Drip systems are expensive and still only water the surface. You need to get the water down deep, a foot or more. Before going on, realize that some hard work is going to be involved here.
We use a variation of a centuries-old invention of Native Americans, the olla (pronounced "oyah"). Ollas were unglazed clay pots buried in the ground and filled with water. The water slowly percolated through the pot and nearby plant roots found it. It is a good solution for a few square feet, but not if you want trees or have a whole yard to plant.
Our "ollas" will hold gallons of water at a time and release it out to a foot or so from the hole. There are two types, round ones and long ones. Round ones are for trees, perennials, and where the ground will let you dig deep. Long ones are for raised beds, border areas or where tree roots will not let you dig very deep without injuring the tree.
For a round one, first dig the hole. It should be 15 inches deep or more if your shovel is long enough, and up to 1.5 times as wide. Digging can be tough in dry clay soil. A little water in the hole allowed to be absorbed makes digging much easier. Inside the hole place a plastic 2 gallon bucket (dollar stores) upside down. There needs to be a hole, crack, gash or other small opening in the bottom of the bucket. Or you can use a nursery 5 gallon black pot. The holes are already there. Surround and cover the bucket with porous material. Mulch will work, but it decomposes. I prefer porous lava rock ($5 a bag at big box stores). It takes a bag and a half to fill the hole. Now you have a hole that will hold a bucket-full of pure water and extra space that will hold more water in the porous rock. Typically you can get 6 gallons of water into a good-sized round olla. This water is in the ground and is not going to evaporate. It gets to your plant roots and lets you water less frequently in the hot season. Plant in a circle around it. Edit Augusr 2023. I have found that stuffing the olla around the bucket with straw holds more water than the porous rock and is way cheaper. A typical straw bale from a feed store will make two to four 6-10 gallon ollas and costs less than $10.00.
Long ollas are easier. Buy white 4 inch irrigation pipe at your home improvement store (about a dollar a foot). It is already perforated. Don't forget the end caps. Take your saw to the store, because you may need to cut this to fit in your car. At one end of the pipe drill a 2 inch hole on the opposite side from the perforations. In the ground the perforations will be down, and the 2 inch hole up. Dig a trench deep enough to hold the pipe completely covered. Cap the ends and put the pipe in the hole. Cut a piece of 2 inch PVC pipe 8-10 inches long and put it in the 2 inch hole. It will stick out of the ground, and be the only evidence that you have an irrigation system. If you have a carpenter's level it is a good idea to make sure the 4 inch pipe is level. Then cover with dirt, either yours or out of a bag. You can stick a hose into the 2 inch pipe and fill away. These ollas are bottomless pits. I don't know where the water goes so fast, but they can take a lot of water and never seem to fill up. Edit Aug 2023. Lining the trench with straw before placing the pipe increases water flow and keeps the holes from plugging up with dirt.
Now you have a way to water deeply. Let's put in some plants.
XERIC PLANTS THAT WORK
One of the most frustrating aspects of desert gardening is that the lovely flowers you buy, die. It can be a huge waste of money. Before you buy, talk to a knowledgable nursery person and read the label carefully. If it says "medium water", or "moderate water", leave it there. You want "low water" or "no water" unless you know the plant and have a place where you suspect it will do OK, like in some shade right next to your olla. This doesn't mean that you are relegated to cactus. There are tons of plants to choose from. One helpful trick in choosing plants is to look at the leaves. Small leaves, leathery leaves, thick leaves, fuzzy leaves, spiky leaves or no leaves often mean this plant can tolerate dryness. Leaves like you would see on a geranium or a sugar maple tree suggest the plant won't last more than a season.
You probably want to grow things that are good for wildlife. Hummingbirds of course. But don't forget the humble pollinators, the insects. America and the world are entering a crisis of dead bugs. It is largely because of pesticide use, wildlife-unfriendly land use, global warming, etc. You know the drill. There are too few native insects around to pollinate all the plants that need them. Honeybees can't keep up. The monarch butterfly has suffered population collapses from 70% to 90% and is the poster child for pollinator destruction. Anything you can do to support bird and insect pollinators helps, and that means putting in native, or close to native, flowering plants. Many of these plants are difficult to grow from seed. Buy them as plants. And don't spray them with pesticides!
Following is a list of plants that are growing in my garden that actually can live in our area with the reduced watering that ollas allow, or by being largely ignored. If your land is like our land, hopefully this list will help you pick good plants, and avoid duds. Everyone's yard is unique, however with shade, drainage, rabbits, deer, pets, traffic, so my favorites may not be your favorites. Please don't blame me if something you pick from this list doesn't grow. These are just personal observations from someone who has struggled in the desert for three years.
TREES AND SHRUBS
Afghan Pine Pinus eldarica. If you want a big pine tree, this one may fill the bill. Ours is two years old, six feet tall and still lives. It needs water, but no more than anything else in the garden. Has its own olla.
Apache Plume Fallugia paradoxa. Perfect for this area. Needs not much water, but just what it will get from an olla, or from watering whatever else is nearby. Interesting flowers of two different kinds on the same plant.
Arizona Rosewood Vauquelinia califorica. A very slow-growing evergreen bush that seems to live on practically no water at all. White flowers are underwhelming.
Ashes We had two 20 year old Raywood Ashes Fraxinus oxycarpa . One upped and died. The other is going strong. These trees are not xeric, despite what the literature might suggest. May work near your vegetable garden where access to extra water is not an issue. The same goes for hawthorns, flowering plums, elms and oaks.
Bird Of Paradise Caesalpinia gilliesii. A small tree or bush that produces lovely, delicate flowers. Needs very little care, and not much water. A perfect plant for near an olla and surrounded by smaller flowering plants.
Black Locust Robinia pseudoacacia. This is one of the few
trees that will grow tall and produce shade with not much caring for.
There may be a few thorns. It has clusters of white flowers in the
spring. The similar New Mexico Locust, with pink flowers is often seen
along the roads in the mountains. This may be a tip-off that it needs
more water than you can give it. Edit Aug. 2023. I have planted three of these as saplings in full sun. They grow amazingly well, and quickly give shade. They tip you off if you are not watering them enough. A few leaves turn yellow.
Chamisa or Rabbit Bush Ericameria nauseosa. This may already be on your land. It needs no care to speak of, and if there is a monsoon, it will bloom yellow in the fall. It does much better near Santa Fe than near Albuquerque.
Chaste Tree Vitex agnus-castus.
This tree bears spikes of purple flowers, like a lilac. It is
supposed to be xeric. Ours seems to be, but after only two seasons, the
jury is still out. Strangely, birds seem to ignore the seeds. This
tree leafs out very late in the spring. Don't think it has died. Edit Aug. 2023. Yes, this tree is very xeric.
Chinee Pistache Pistacia chinensis. Not native but a pretty tree with orange fall colors. Supposed to be xeric, but ours is new and getting plenty of water. Time will tell. Good shade and pretty fast growing.
Choke Cherry Prunus virginiana. Another plant that doesn't belong in the desert, but it is a larval food plant for the Two-tailed Swallowtail butterfly, which is common around here. Like the Oklahoma Redbud, it needs extra water. When established it may do well. It is a fast grower and spreads by suckers, which would be good for soil retention.
Desert Holly Mahonia haematocarpa. This holly-like bush is covered in yellow flowers in the spring, once mature. It grows so slowly, however than you may not live to see it. It needs no care.
Desert Willow Chilopsis linearis. A hardy small tree that can stand some neglect. Large pinkish flowers are followed by long seed pods. It is commonly planted as street tree, proving it is easy to care for.
Four-winged Saltbush Atriplex canescens. A staple and probably already on your property. A scraggly bush with funny-looking papery"four-winged" seeds. May also bear white or light greenish galls. It is wind pollinated, and doesn't attract pollinators, but it offers such good cover that birds love it. It's roots also are effective in preventing runoff erosion. Don't dig this all up just because it isn't pretty. Just prune it into a hedge.
Junipers. You probably already have these. Treasure them. They provide shade, shelter and food for wildlife. Prune some lower branches and put your more delicate plant under them. Rocky Mountain Junipers Juniperus scopulorum, are the cone-shaped ones. One-seed Junipers Juniperus monosperma are the scraggly ones. Bite into a berry (they are the source of gin, and really spice up Italian food), and see if there is just one seed in it. Junipers are dioecious, which means separate male and female trees. The females will have a berry or two at any season. The males have tiny reddish brown tips to some of the little branchlets. These are their flowers. Junipers are wind-pollinated, and regularly cause springtime allergies.
Mimosa Albizia julibrissin.
An ornamental tree tree that doesn't need too much water. Probably
best near a vegetable patch where it can provide some shade, and share
water with the frequently watered veggies. The pink powderpuff flowers
are popular with hummingbirds.
Mountain Mahogany Cercocarpus montanus. Small and slow-growing, but a pretty, low-water little plant. Probably not worth planting in the desert. Enjoy them when you hike the mountains.
Net-leaf Hackberry Celtis reticulata. An ungainly tree with little leaves that can take heat, wind and cold. I bought it to attract Tawny Emperor butterflies. Pretty stupid, as there probably aren't any for miles (counties?). The tree is thriving.
New Mexico Privet (N.M. Olive) Forestiera neomexicana. A
very useful bush or small tree. Birds eat the fruits. Tolerates heat
and doesn't need much water, but will gladly take whatever you give it.
Also dioecious (see junipers).You need a male and a female to get
berries. No one can tell them apart unless it is early spring and they
are flowering. A good nursery will have sorted this out for you. Pull
out your old botany textbook to remember how to tell a male from a
female flower before shopping. Females may have some berries on them,
but may not.
Ocotillo Fouquieria splendens . A real temptation because hummingbirds love it's flowers and it is truly xeric. This plant is a cluster of tall, thorny stems with tiny, or no, leaves. It is an Arizona native (low Sonoran desert), and doesn't like our winters. It will do well in just the right spot, but how do you pick the right spot? You can find them in nurseries, or poached ones on roadside trucks. Caveat emptor.
Oklahoma Redbud Cercis canadensis var texensis. Beautiful tree in the spring. Really needs more water than it will get here, and needs to be pampered. You may not want to pamper it enough to keep it alive in the desert. It doesn't like single digit winters, either.
Pinyon Pine Pinus edulis. Beautiful small pine trees that grow so slowly that it can be 25 years before they produce pinyon nuts. You can identify one by the pine needles. Look closely and you will see it is really two needles stuck together.
Roses. Can be beautiful, but need to be watered, and are
probably not worth the trouble unless you are a real rose person. The
cold is not an issue for them, but the heat and summer sun is a real
stressor.
Sagebrush Artemisia tridentata. This would be nice to have, as it exemplifies the West, but the ones I planted 3 years ago are still only four inches tall. Not worth it.
Spanish Broom Spartium junceum. A civilized bush with almost no leaves. The stems are green instead. Once a year breaks out in yellow pea-like flowers. Hardly any water.
Three-leaf Sumac Rhus trilobata. Tolerates dry
conditions, but is really slow growing. Unless you want the red fall
leaves, it probably isn't worth the trouble.
MOSTLY PERENNIAL FLOWERS AND FLOWERING SHRUBS
Bear Grass Nolina sp. This is a classic desert plant. It may take a year or two to establish itself, but when it does, it will send up a long spike of white flowers that attract pollinators like a magnet. Endless fascination. The Desert Botanical Garden at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge has a few of these and they are show-stoppers. Edit Aug 2023. It takes more than a year or two...probably a lot more.
Blackfoot Daisy Melampodium leucanthum. A small plant with attractive white flowers. From the prairie. Can be away from the olla if you surface water it once a week or so.
Blue Flax Linum lewisii. This little plant is a garden secret. It is tiny and sports intensely blue flowers, like you might find in a northeastern forest in spring. It takes dryness, but needs some shade, like under some grass or a rock. It will hit you with blue when you aren't looking.
Butterfly Bush Buddleia davidii. Who can resist this
plant? Especially when you see a big swallowtail attack it in the
nursery. The flowers are all very fragrant and in several colors.
Purple seems to be the best butterfly attractant. Buddleia needs
water and good soil. I have never had luck putting one into the
ground. It is the only plant I grow in a 15 gallon pot, water it
regularly and move the whole thing into a sunny protected spot in the
winter. It's worth it. (see Wooly Butterfly Bush). Edit Aug. 2023. The potted plant died, too. I have given up on Buddleia.
California Poppy Eschscholzia californica. These grow anywhere but appreciate some shade and water. They are annuals that reseed readily, but not in desert conditions.
Catmint Nepeta sp.. Someone once said that if you can't grow catmint, you better find another hobby. They are very forgiving. Near an olla catmint will grow a foot across and be covered in small purple flowers. Pollinators like it, but it is not the attractant that lavender is. Lavender need too much water for here.
Chocolate Flower Berlandiera lyrata. This is not the extreme xeric plant it is made out to be, at least not here. It needs some shade and water, but it will grow. The chocolate smell is difficult to appreciate. There needs to be no wind and you need to be young enough to get your nose down to the plant.
Columbine, Rocky Mountain Aquilegia caerulea and Golden-spurred Aquilegia chrysantha . Two of Nature's prettiest wildflowers. Give it some shade and some water and it will thrive, even here. You think of it as a mountain plant, but it tolerates long drought.
Datura or Jimsonweed Datura wrightii. This grows as a roadside weed here. It is the source of a well-known hallucinogen. It is an ugly, sprawling plant and I haven't brought it into the garden.
Desert Four O'Clock Mirabilis multiflora. This grows here as a "weed". It is a pretty flower, the only problem with it is that the flowers open late in the day, after you have gone inside with the heat, and are closed again the next morning, so you rarely get to see them. Needs no care.
Desert Mule's Ears Wyethia scabra. This hardy desert native can take the heat and butterflies love it. It may not flower the first year, but give it some water and patience and let it get its roots established.
Echinacea. These prairie flowers are beautiful, and will brighten up your desert garden for a short time. Cheyenne Spirit
is a good example. Your friends "in the valley" near a river, may have
acres of this but in the desert, flowering is brief and they may not come
back next year. (see Yellow Prairie Coneflower).
Englemann's Daisy Englemannia peristenia. A finicky plant
that produces lots of yellow daisy-like flowers. Can stand being dry,
but definitely does better in shade. When you water it, it thanks you
with a burst of flowers.
Fendler's Sundrops Calylophus hartwegii fendleri. This nondescript little shrub with yellow flowers takes next to no care, and reliably blooms for months. It is always there for you in the morning.
Fernbush Chamaebatiaria millefolium. Slow growing. Doesn't need much water. Hasn't flowered yet.
Globe Mallow Sphaeralcea coccinea. Cheery orange flowers in the spring and not much the rest of the year. They are open, like little poppies. Needs little care.
Horsetail Milkweed Asclepias subverticillata. This is the skinniest milkweed plant with pretty small flowers But it spreads by underground runners, assured of finding water somewhere. It can be important as a monarch butterfly larval food source in the desert, and monarchs need all the help they can get. The classic milkweed plant Asclepias tuberosa with the orange flowers needs more water than it will easily get here. There are other desert milkweeds, but not readily available in stores. Go to the desert and collect seeds. The seeds are dark with feathery parachutes and in a pod, like other milkweeds. Easy to see if any are around.
Hopi (Navajo) Tea Thelasperma megapotamicum. A tall roadside weed that tolerates transplanting. It has a yellow flower atop, unless a rabbit eats it.
Hummingbird Trumpet or Orange Carpet Zauschneria garrettii. A difficult plant but produces so many tubular orange flowers that it is worth a try. It doesn't do well in our full sun. Give it partial shade and near an olla. I think rabbits may eat this.
Maximillian Sunflower Helianthus maximilliani. This is supposed to be covered in yellow sunflowers, but mine have always been scraggly with just a few blooms. Worth a try, though.
Moonshine Yarrow Achillea var "Moonshine". Most yarrows need too much water, but not this one. It grows a wide head of brilliant yellow lasting the first part of the summer and will do OK with surface watering if you are running out of olla space. After flowering once, the plant is a perennial, but will not flower again that year. Dead-heading gives a puny little bloom.
Pansies and Classic Spring Bulbs. Yes, they grow here. Plant them after Halloween in areas where you have established "non-desert" soils (like out of a bag). They appreciate a long olla. Pansies will grow with watering until it freezes. They will limp through the winter with no, or little, care, and resurrect themselves in the early spring with your crocuses. A real surprise.
Paper Flower Pusatilla patens. Pretty yellow flower that likes full sun near an olla.
Penstemons. These will be a mainstay in a desert garden, as their red tubular flowers attract hummingbirds like few other plants do. They can be around an olla or on their own. They need little water. They may produce more nectar near an olla. Most any red-flowered species will do, but the Superb Penstemon (Penstemon superbus) seems to give more flowers longer. Penstemon pseudospectabilis is also good. Rocky Mountain Penstemon (Penstemon strictus) seems to be indestructible, but the flowers are a gorgeous (to us) blue, not what hummingbirds are looking for. Pineleaf Penstemon (Penstemon pinifolius) is small and has little red flowers, but it blooms all summer, and takes little care. Anything called a Beardtongue or Scarlet Bugler is worth a try. The problem with Penstemons is that most of them are spring and early summer bloomers. What do the hummers do in the late summer? Try the bush-like Devil's Rock Penstemon (Penstemon baccharifolius). Caution: rabbits eat this one. Penstemons make lots of seeds, so even if your plants only lives a couple of years, they should have plenty of offspring.
Purple aster. Dieteria (Machaeranthera) canescens. This becomes a round, two-foot tall bush and blooms after everything else is done. An annual covered in little purple flowers with dandelion-like, airborne seeds . It should re-seed. Needs little water.
Red Hot Poker Kniphofia uvaria
It looks like it's name, and it's not especially pretty. It blooms
and dies back, and blooms and dies back, and blooms and dies back, all
growing season. Hummingbirds go to it. It is a reliable source of
color near your olla. Edit Aug 2023. This plant can not be relied on to flower after the first year, or even to grow. I will not waste money on this one again.
Red Sage, such as Furman's Autumn Sage Salvia greggii. A slow growing plant that can become a bush in time. Red flowers are reliable most of the summer. Likes some water but will not die if you forget to give it for a while. Hummingbirds like it.
Red Yucca Hesperaloe parviflora. This is a real desert plant that needs no extra water once established. When it is a foot or two high, which may take years, it will send up a spike with penstemon-like flowers. It can flower for months. Hummingbirds visit but there isn't much nectar in the flowers.
Russian Sage Salvia yangii. Another lavender-like plant, but this one is a real pollinator attractant. It will grow better near an olla, but can be left dry for long periods and not die (but it won't flower either). The plant dies to the ground in winter, and grows fresh in the spring.
Sulfur Buckwheat Eriogonum umbellatum. Yellow flowers and likes the same conditions as Paper Flower.
Annual Sunflower Helianthus annuus. These bloom anywhere in late summer. Roadsides, ditches, anywhere that is a bit wetter than the surrounding desert. They self-seed easily, and will be very happy near your olla or near a tree. Don't let them grow near a newly planted tree. They will outgrow it, steal gallons of water, and die at the end of the season. They are wonderful to have around, but not near trees. A bumblebee favorite. Sunflowers of various species are common desert plants. If you have a preserve near you, check it out for seeds at the end of the growing season. Caution: rattlesnakes love these areas, too.
Threadleaf Groundsel Senecio longilobus. This is an odd plant. It hangs on year after year with sun and shade near a Pinyon Pine. It gets periodic water, but it never flowered. Maybe next year.
Verbenas. Verbenas are low-growing plants with deep red or
purple flowers. They don't need much water, and will keep flowering
even if ignored. They can almost die, and come right back with some
water. Edit Aug 2023. The heat does them in, and they do not return with one exception. Sandpaper Verbena (Verbena rigida) is reliable, spreads by runners and has lovely purple flowers.
Wild Hyssop Agastache cana. This was a surprise hummingbird plant to me. The flowers are light pinkish purple, not red, but they are late summer blooms, just when the hummers need them. If sage is around, the birds choose the hyssop first. A. rupestris is another species that does well. These plants need to be near your olla, and like afternoon shade. It's unfortunate, because these pastel flowers make a beautiful picture when grown in masses.
Wooly Butterfly Bush Buddleja marrubiifolia. This was a big disappointment with it's small clusters of small, odorless flowers. I expected it to be the desert version of B. davidii, but despite being a desert plant, it died the same season it was planted. Maybe just bad luck, but buddleias just seem to be hard to grow. (see Butterfly Bush).
Wooly Desert Marigold.Baileya pleniradiata.
A simply wonderful plant. It has a long tap root and can take drying
out. Put it near an olla, however, and it will glow all summer with
sunshine yellow. It spreads, too. Edit Aug. 2023. Mulch this one with rocks. It doesn't like organics.
Yellow Prairie Coneflower Ratibida columnifera.
Seems to do better than the other coneflowers, like Echinaceas. It
still has a rather short blooming season. We are just too dry for
prairie flowers. A shame, since they are so pretty. Edit Aug. 2023. I was mistaken. It comes back, and even spreads by seed, something rare in this dry, hard climate. If you plan to collect seeds, watch the plant. Ants climb the stalks and will eat every seed produced. When they do, that's the time to collect for yourself. Same to you, ants!
Some flowers that just didn't make it here. Coreopsis, Firewheel
flower (Gaillardia, even the native one) sun or shade, just won't stay
alive, Germander, Hairy Golden Aster, Ice Plant, Ironweed, Jupiter's
Beard (Valerian), Pearly Everlasting, Prairie Clover (rabbits), Prairie Zinnia edit 2023. It grows but really slowly. Flowers are worth it, though , Red and Greek
Yarrows, Sedum (rabbits), Shadscale, St. John's Wort, Tahoka Daisy (rabbits), Zinnia.
GRASSES AND WEEDS
Grass is very important for holding soil against washing away when it rains. Its roots break up the soil so your other plants have an easier time putting down their own roots. Let it grow wherever you see it. Plant more. We only have bunch grasses, no turf. Alkali Sacaton, various grama grasses with seed head that look like false eyelashes, Side-oats Grama, Little Bluestem (it really is bluish) and others. My favorite grass to plant is Thread Grass. It grows fast and takes very little water. If you do any hillside landscaping with largish rocks, toss some grass seeds in among the rocks. Some may grow and hold the soil.
Since a weed is defined as a plant growing where you don't want it, the high desert has no weeds. You want everything--even Snakeweed, to hold the soil together and break up the hard pan. Snakeweed is actually a pretty little plant that is light spring green most of the time, even in drought, and is topped off with yellow flowers in the early fall. It needs zero care, but may need to be controlled near your ollas as it will take up a lot of space if you give it a chance. So will Silver-leafed Nightshade. But its pretty purple flowers and animal-edible yellow fruits may make it desirable. Caution: Nightshade is poisonous to people.
It is tempting to dig up pretty flowering roadside weeds and transplant them into your garden. It is also very difficult. One in ten will live. They have tap roots and you always break them. If you can, soak the ground first and use a big shovel to try to get as much root with clinging soil as possible. Pot them and leave in shade with liberal watering until they are obviously dead, or you see new growth. Especially water a lot the first few days. your potting soil takes that long to get saturated. Wait a month after new growth appears before putting them in the ground. Some will continue to flower, but others not until next season. Rabbits are more likely to eat these than nursery plants. Do not dig up plants from preserves, and especially not on the Reservation. People are watching you.
One real weed that should be pulled out whenever you see it is Tumbleweed. It is a noxious invasive exotic that grows anywhere nothing else is. Bone dry, it doesn't care. It has no flowers to speak of, is painful to touch, and crowds out whatever it can. Recognize it by its purple-striped stems. You will know you have the right plant after pulling a few (it's easy) and your hands hurt. In the fall the plant dies, breaks off at the ground into a ball and rolls with the wind across the countryside, dropping seeds everywhere.
FOOD
Desert soils are nutrient-poor. The plants (especially trees) enjoy some fertilizer during the growing season. Apply lightly, a few grains per square foot, and water it in. As an oversimplified rule of thumb, nitrogen is good for leaf and stem growth, potassium is good for fruiting, and phosphorus is good for flower production, but all three overlap. Trace minerals like iron, copper, molybdenum, magnesium and manganese are also helpful. Remember they are called "trace" for a reason. Don't overdo it.
Add organic material when you plant a plant. Straw, leaves, compost, even mulch underground is helpful in heavy clay-like soils or porous sand. Surface mulch, used for water retention, also decomposes and feeds plants. Your desert soil will be much healthier after a few years of gardening, than before you started. Edit Ag. 2023. A caution about mulch. After one or two years, some big box store wood-based mulches grow a white mold. Of course mold is desirable, as it breaks down mulch to usable food. But it also cements the mulch pieces together, like Elmer's Glue. The result can be a thin blanket of mulch-mold that lies on the surface of your garden like a piece of wood. There is an air space under it, so that when you think you are watering, the water is just running off the surface. Roots don't like big air pockets, either. The solution is to watch for this unique form of "desert varnish" and break it up periodically.
