4/25/ Langleys per kwh/m2/day

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1 Ecology defined: Scant precipitation (< 10 inches per year) The interaction of organisms with the environment Living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) environments 100,000 square miles 60 mammal species 350 bird species 20 amphibian species At least 100 reptile species 30 species of fish More than 2,000 plant species 17 indigenous cultures Guaymas, Sonora Dunes near Yuma Superstition Mountains Slope of Picacho Peak Saguaro National Park 1

2 86.04 Langleys per kwh/m2/day Plant adaptations Waxy cuticle Succulence Spines, hairs Microbial associations Altered photosynthetic strategies Animal adaptations Migration Nocturnal habits Long ears, long legs Aestivation Curved-bill thrasher Cactus wren Anna s hummingbird Phainopepla 2

3 Western diamondback rattlesnake Palo verde root borer beetle Cicada Ground snakes Tarantula hawk (w/tarantula!) Desert kingsnake Bark scorpion Arizona coral snake Brittlebush Javelina Bursage Coyote Desert marigold California leaf-nosed bat Mule deer Desert broom Teddy bear cholla Engelmann s prickly pear Velvet mesquite Palo verde Saguaro Fishhook barrel Desert ironwood 3

4 Palo verdes Parkinsonia microphyllum foothills palo verde Parkinsonia floridum blue palo verde Parkinsonia praecox Palo brea Bursera microphylla elephant tree Wolfberry Creosote Ocotillo Jojoba Additional Resources Boyce Thompson Arboretum Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum The Heard Museum Hoo-hoogam Ki Museum Tohono Chul Park 4

5 Wrong Plant, Wrong Location Kelly Young Extension Horticulture Agent, University of Arizona x 319 Leads to poor care choices. Selecting Appropriate Species: Right Plant, Right Location Selecting Appropriate Species 1. Mature size and space available 2. Plant characteristics: Form, Allergies, Poisonous/edible, Fragrance 3. Maintenance requirements: Pruning, Fertilizing, Trashy, Weedy 4. Plant tolerances to site characteristics: Heat/cold, Drought/flooding, Air pollution, Insects, Diseases, Salinity, ph, Light 5. Functional uses: Shading, Screening, Erosion, Traffic, Wildlife, Safety 6. Suitability: City and street, Electric lines, Patio and oasis, Pools Landscape Plants for the Desert Southwest: Use it! Common Name: Blue Palo Verde Botanical Name: Cercidium floridum Mature Size: 30' h x 30' w Flower Color: Bright yellow Sun: full or reflected sun Flower Season: spring Water: very low Foliage Color: blue green Growth Rate: fast Foliage Texture: fine Form: vase shaped Evergreen? Semi evergreen Hardiness: F Litter: seasonal Allergenic: no Thorns: small Attracts Wildlife: birds Other Features: Vivid spring color. Nesting for birds. Recently reclassified as Parkinsonia florida. Native to: Sonoran Desert Plant Type: tree 5

6 Common Name: Texas Mountain Laurel Botanical Name: Sophora secundiflora Mature Size: 8' h x 6' w Flower Color: Purple clusters Sun: full sun Flower Season: spring Water: low Foliage Color: dark green Growth Rate: slow Foliage Texture: medium Form: upright, dense Evergreen? Evergreen Hardiness: 1 10 F Litter: low Allergenic: no Thorns: none Other Features: Fragrant flowers. Can be grown as a small tree. Native to: Chihuahuan Desert Plant Type: tree, shrub Eremophila prostrata Pyracantha sp. 6

7 Selecting Plants Size relative to container Health no evidence of: Insects Disease Cultural problems Wounds (especially at nursery stake) Structure Natural plant habit/form maintained Wide branch angles Lower limbs not removed No nursery stake Root system Not rootbound No girdling roots at top of container Transplanting 1. Till area 3 to 5x diameter of rootball and no deeper, with rough or sloping side walls 2. Dig hole in center of tilled area no deeper than rootball 3. Do not amend backfill 4. Score or butterfly rootball to reduce probability of girdling roots, set top of rootball at or slightly above soil surface 5. Do not pack backfill around rootball 6. Form irrigation well at rootball boundary, irrigate entire tilled area to settle soil without packing 7. Mulch soil surface to depth of 4, keep mulch away from plant trunk 8. Do not prune unnecessarily 7

8 Staking A. Use at least two stakes. Put stakes outside rootball and irrigation well at right angles to direction of heaviest wind. B. Hold trunk and bend canopy to one side. If canopy does not return to upright position, move up trunk and try again. Find lowest point on trunk at which the canopy can return to upright position. Put ties about 6 above this point. One set of cross ties is best. C. Use wire for ties. Protect trunk by putting wire inside garden hose. Trunk should not move inside garden hose, but wire should be loose so that trunk and garden hose can move as a unit. D. Cut off top of stakes below canopy to prevent limbs from rubbing against stakes. 8