Q: Our small HOA is trying to convert to desert or semi-desert landscaping.Β Itβs a fight, as some owners want the same flowers they had back east or in California, but we keep trying. We have a number of old Cyprus trees on the property and have been told that it is OK to disconnect the drip irrigation systems currently watering them because they have a well-established root system that will ensure they get enough water. Do you agree it is OK to not water them any longer? We donβt want them anymore, but canβt afford to cut them down. Iβd also like to learn what desert plants you recommend that donβt need regular watering, provide color, and, if itβs not asking too much, what months they bloom?
A:Β Keep up the good fight for native desert or desert-adapted plants. We can always go visit our old plant friends from other places but it is hard to sustain them here. Cypress trees need water just like everyone else. If you cut off the supply, those trees will eventually die of complications from drought. The problem with just letting them die is they might fall and hurt somebody or something. If they are out in the middle of nowhere that might be okay but I am guessing they are not. There are desert plants that donβt need much water but everything needs some water.
The extreme examples get by with seasonal rainfall but even those plants suffer when we have a drought. There are quite a few choices of shrubs you can use that provide color and don’t require much water. A good online source of information for this is amwua.org/plants and of course you can always chat up your local Cooperative Extension agent, plant nurseries and Master Gardener volunteers about specific plants.
Peter L. Warren is the urban horticulture agent for the Pima County Cooperative Extension and the University of Arizona. Questions may be emailed toΒ tucsongardensage@gmail.com
