Bear Grass (Nolina microcarpa) Height: 6'. Width: 6'. Low water use. Evergreen. Cold tolerant to -15 degrees. Moderate to fast growth rate . White flowers. Full sun to partial shade. An underused plant that preforms very well in Tucson growing quickly to instantly give you a weeping grass look. Can produce a trunk when established allowing some shaping, but pruning half a leaf will always lose the plants ability to look as graceful as it does.Blue Nolina (Nolina nelsoni) Height: 8'. Width: 6'. Low to moderate water use. Evergreen. Cold tolerant to 10 degrees. Moderate to fast growth rate . White flowers. Full sun to partial shade. Similar to bear grass except the leaves are blue in color and much wider. Blue nolina is a good substitute for an agave because it is softer in appearance and thorns. Once established can be quite an eye catcher.
Desert Spoon (Dasylirion wheeleri) 8hWidth: 6'. Low water use. Evergreen. Cold tolerant to 0 degrees. Moderate to fast growth rate . White flowers. Full sun to partial shade. Our native desert spoon has made its way down from the mountain and has established itself well into our desert landscape be used everywhere. With a grayish blue leaf and lots of thorns it looks good planted by itself or is a mass planting. Watch out when they are young they are rabbit and javelina food.
Desert Sun TM (Hesperaloe parviflora 'Desert Sun') Height: 4'. Width: 5'. Low to moderate water use. Evergreen. Cold tolerant to 0 degrees. Moderate to fast growth rate with yellow flowers. Full sun to partial shade. A newer variety of the old stand by red yucca. They grow in the exact style except for the yellow flower they are identical. A grass like look with clumps of grayish leaves and a stalk with a yellow flower.
Giant Hesperaloe (Hesperaloe funifera) Height: 5'. Width: 5'. Low to moderate water use. Evergreen. Cold tolerant to 10 degrees. Moderate to fast growth rate . White flowers. Full sun to partial shade. A great accent plant with a large green leaf . White filaments originating from the leaves edge. Another plant that needs to be used more, the only warning is when young it is rabbit food.
Green Spoon (Dasylirion acrotriche) Height: 6'. Width: 6'. Low to moderate water use. Evergreen. Cold tolerant to 15 degrees. Moderate to fast growth rate . White flowers. Full sun to partial shade. A relative of our native desert spoon this plant is almost identical except for its green leaves. Rose like thorns stretching the length of the leaves pointing both out and into the plant (not something you want to grab). Once established produces a small trunk and can be very much a good accented plant.
Night Blooming Hesperaloe (Hesperaloe nocturna) Height: 5'. Width: 5'. low to moderate water use. Evergreen. Cold tolerant to 10 degrees. Moderate to fast growth . White flowers. Full sun to partial shade. This hesperaloe gowns in a clump of curved leaves that are grayish green . White filaments. Blooming from the center of the plant the open up at night with a slight smell.
Ponytail Palm (Nolina 'Beacarnia' recurvata) Height: 15'. Width 8'. Low water use. Evergreen. Cold tolerant to 30 degrees. Moderate to slow growth rate . White flowers. Full sun to reflected sun. A popular generational plant that can be used a potted patio and houseplant. It is possible to plant them outside in Tucson, but it must be in a frost free area or a protected micro-climate. Only word of caution would be to make sure you don't over water use this plant it needs very little to almost nothing in the winter time.
Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora) Height: 4'. Width: 5'. low moderate water use. Evergreen. Cold tolerant to 0 degrees. Moderate to fast growth rate with pink flowers. Full sun to partial shade. One of the most widely used plant is the southwest because of it hardiness. Blooming light pink flowers on stalks emerging from a grass like leave with a grayish color. Just like all of the hesperaloe family watch out when they are young they are rabbit food. Speaking of food red yucca a great hummingbird attractors.
Sonoran Bear Grass (Nolina matapensis) Height: 6'. Width: 5'. Low water use. Evergreen. Cold tolerant to 15 degrees. Moderate to fast growth rate . White flowers. Full sun to partial shade. This plant is great for the desert because of its light green leaf and tolerance for full sun and Low water use. The leaves are graceful and flexible giving a soft look to sometimes harsh deserts. Be careful though it still has small teeth like thorns running the length of the leaf that are very sharp.
Toothless Spoon (Dasylirion longissimum) Height: 10'. Width: 6'. Low to moderate water use. Evergreen. Cold tolerant to 15 degrees , moderate to fast growth rate . White flowers. Full sun to partial shade. A very underused plant that grows into a very symmetrical sphere with thin green leaves and no thorns. There are few plants with the grace and soft look that are so easy to care for.
