Top Landscape Plants for Arizona Winter

Now that the days have gotten shorter and nights cooler, and your winter lawn is in, time to think about the rest of the landscaping. It’s possible that you’ve never really put much thought into what your fall landscaping will look like; after all, many people see fall as a time to start prepping for winter and the holidays and generally let the look of their landscaping kind of fall by the wayside until spring. With a little bit of TLC, though, you can transform your landscaping and create a striking contrast between spring and fall without having to break the bank or spend all your time working in the yard.

One easy way to do this is to add some new plants to your landscape as the season change approaches. There are a wide range of autumn-hardy plants in both flowering and ornamental varieties, so you should be able to find some options that you like regardless of your preferences.

Flowering Plants

While many people think of flowers as a big part of spring, there are a number of flowering plants that absolutely flourish during autumn and into winter. Many of these flowering plants are available in a wide range of colors, and some are even perennial, so you’ll get to enjoy them year after year. Here are just a few of the fall flowers you might add to your landscaping:

• Geraniums. The come in a range of colors like red, purple, pink, coral, yellow and white blooming well into June.
• Pansies: Colors range from blue, purple, pink, red, orange, yellow and white bringing you color up until April or May. Requiring less water, Pansies look particularly beautiful when intermixed with succulents.
• Petunias: Similar color palettes. Petunias attract butterflies and are fragrant. Protect these from frost but can be replanted through March and show color until May.
• Snapdragons: A variety of colors growing 6-36″ tall which can be planted up until February and will bloom through May.
• Sweet Alyssum: White, bue, and pink. Smell amazing and pair well with Geraniums or Petunias as they require a bit of water to maintain.

There may be other options that are available locally on top of these, so be sure to check with your local nurseries to see if they have any recommendations for winter-blooming flowers that do well in your area.

Ornamental Plants

Flowers are always a welcome addition to landscaping, but there’s something to be said for colorful and hardy ornamental plants as well. Some combinations do well year-round, even throughout the chill of winter, making them favorites when it comes to building up landscaping that will survive colder nights and chilly autumn winds. While this is far from an exhaustive list, here are a few ornamental plant combinations that you might consider for your fall landscaping revamp:

• Purple Prickly Pear + Damianita: : During winter, Purple Prickly Pear turns purple color. The intense green foliage and yellow flowers of Damianita provide a distinctive contrast.
• Red & Yellow Chuparosa: The brilliant red flowers of typical Chuparosa interplanted with its yellow-flowered clone, create a striking combination from early winter through mid-spring.
• Pea Bush + Fairy Duster: The Fairy Duster’s deep green foliage and pink flowers, which attract hummingbirds, together with the gray foliage and purplish–pink flowers of Pea Bush, an Arizona native, make an excellent combination
• Desert Lavender + White Plumbago: Plumbago develops bronze-purple foliage in the winter, offering a great contrast to the soft gray-silver leaves of Desert Lavender, after its brilliant Fall display of blue-purple flowers.

Many plants that work well as ornamental pieces in the fall will also produce beautiful flowers in the spring or early summer, making them staples of your landscaping year-round. Some also produce fruits that local wildlife can enjoy as temperatures drop and they start preparing for the winter. In most cases, they can be planted either directly in the soil or in containers for an additionally striking look. As with flowering plants, be sure to check to see if there are additional options that grow well in your area and thrive in your climate zone.

Landscaping Redux

In addition to changing out the flowers in your yard, the fall can be a great time to make other changes to your landscaping as well. Everything from adding garden paths to installing outdoor lighting or planting and removing trees can be done as part of autumn revamp to your overall landscaping. This can be done alongside floral and ornamental planting to get the most out of winter living in Arizona, and by starting in late summer or early fall you can be sure that everything is in good shape before the holidays.