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IN SEARCH of 4' high stalk-ish desert plant... please help

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Posted by kaiserbox 9 AZ (My Page) on
Wed, Apr 13, 05 at 17:39

i am in search of a plant that may or may not exist. i just recently bought a house in downtown phoenix with a porch which is 2'-0" above grade. i would like to plant something "stalk-ish" on grade that grows 4' or higher to provide a 24" visual buffer between the street and the porch. horsetail was my preference until i learned how much water is required to make those guys happy in the desert. lady slipper (pedilanthus macrocarpa) would be ideal if they weren't so squirly, and if they grew higher than 36" or so. any suggestions? once again in search of the perfectly sculptural desert stalk... i want to have a small "field" of these to act as a buffer between me and the street.
i think this is a tough one - any direction would be great.
thank you much,
christoph

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RE: IN SEARCH of 4' high stalk-ish desert plant... please help

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How 'bout Red Yucca, Hesperaloe parviflora... drought resistant, leaves up to 4 ft. long, flower spikes up to 8-9 ft... very nice...

Here is a link that might be useful: Red Yucca

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RE: IN SEARCH of 4' high stalk-ish desert plant... please help

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What exposure does the porch have? Morning sun, afternoon sun, or what?

Red Yucca and the yellow variety of it would work.
Ocotillo, although slow-growing, provides a see-through screen. Desert Milkweed can get 3-5 feet tall, and is a very "stalky" thing. I like the idea of a mass of a single plant.

If you have sufficient shade (north-or east-facing porch) you can grow Ficus benjamani in the ground as a screen.

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RE: IN SEARCH of 4' high stalk-ish desert plant... please help

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Christoph, depending on the exposure, you could try Mexican bush sage or Salvia leucantha. It is fairly drought tolerant and can become 4' tall and wide. It produces plumes of purple and white flowers especially in the spring and fall and is a favorite of hummingbirds. In my experience, these salvia look better when grown as "fields".

HTH

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RE: IN SEARCH of 4' high stalk-ish desert plant... please help

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In addition to Hesperaloe parviflora, there is Hesperaloe funifera that looks a little more like a Yucca with wider, more upright leaves and a much taller bloom stalk. The link below describes it as 6'tall (the leaves) but I've never seen it taller than 4' in the Phx area.

HTH

Here is a link that might be useful: H. funifera

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RE: IN SEARCH of 4' high stalk-ish desert plant... please help

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Bear Grass? Shade tolerant as well.

http://ag.arizona.edu/pima/gardening/aridplants/Nolina_microcarpa.html

 
 

 

 


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