Moon Valley Nursery - Arizona Blog

How to Xeriscape Your Yard with Cacti and Agave

Written by Felipe Benavides | 3/15/2018

We can plant cacti and agave in our yard and live a green lifestyle without sacrificing beauty! Water is a limited resource where we live, so when we choose to have a xeric landscape, we can make the most out of every water drop. There is no doubt about it! Xeriscaping is an excellent way for us to have a luxurious and sustainable landscape in Arizona.

 

Why Xeriscape?

 

We can create a breathtaking landscape that fits into our natural surroundings, and doing this means that we can eliminate putting an unnecessary strain on the environment. Xeriscapes are low maintenance, and we can reduce our use of water, energy, and chemical fertilizers as much as possible. As a bonus, we can implement native plants and our landscape design specialists will be able to design a xeriscape that can be lush and can complement the style of your home with minimal energy and water use!

Our professional landscape design specialists will be glad to help you create the perfect xeriscape landscape. Allow our nursery pros to help you create a beautiful outdoor living space with beautiful cacti and agave! Below are some of our recommended picks that can add color and texture to your landscape.

 

Century Plant (Agave americana): Beautiful and majestic, this large agave features attractive rosettes of thick, blue-green leaves appearing to stem right from the ground. We like to use them as a dramatic focal point or accent in any water-wise garden. Mature plants are topped with a spectacular flower stalk with large, greenish-yellow flowers. This agave is sure to increase curb appeal and attract all the right attention.

 

 

San Pedro Cactus (Echinopsis pachanoi): This is a perfect cactus for adding lots of character and interest to any landscape. This columnar cactus features an attractive light to dark green color, and in the middle of summer, it can produce large and beautiful fragrant flowers. We like to use them as a focal point, add them to a property line, or lining a driveway. Also, if you are looking to deter burglars, you may want to plant them around windows. These are beautiful water-wise plants no matter how you choose to use them.

 

 

Blue Glow Agave (Agave ‘Blue Glow’): We love to use the Blue Glow Agave in desert gardens. Their smooth, blue-green leaves with yellow-edged, red margins are sure to add dramatic color and texture no matter where you choose to plant them. This agave is a beautiful companion to Red Yucca!

 

 

 

Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parvifolia): Red Yucca is an attractive addition to any water-wise landscape. It features tall spikes that hold deep rose-pink flowers atop the clumps of its slender, green foliage. It can bloom the showy flowers almost all year long. We like to use them to add dramatic interest to rock gardens or use them as a landscape accent. These are beautiful companions to a wide range of desert plants.

 

 

Sticks on Fire (Euphorbia tirucalli): Bring the awe-inspiring look of sea coral to a dry landscape! These Sticks on Fire have an interesting and unique coral structure that gets better looking in stressful situations! They can explode with color from winter to summer - bright fiery red/orange and green colors go back to a lighter green hue. We like to use them in rock gardens and as a beautiful addition to beds and borders.

 

 

Are you ready to conserve water and create a beautiful new landscape? Visit your nearest Moon Valley Nurseries location and allow our professional landscape designers to help you create a water-wise landscape with hand-selected agave and cactus!