Native shrubs and trees for waterwise landscapes-handout

Native Plant Society of NM, Santa Fe Chapter

“The Beauty of Native Shrubs and Trees for Waterwise Landscapes”

presented by

David Salman

Chief Horticulturist of High Country Gardens

Owner of Waterwise Gardening LLC in Santa Fe

photos by David Salman

2. Native Shrubs and Trees

They are invaluable components of the waterwise landscape

• Native shrubs are long lived, low care elements of the landscape that provide structure and permanence to waterwise plantings

• Native shrubs provide food, cover and nesting sites for birds, beneficial insects and pollinators such as honey and native bees, butterflies, hummingbirds

• They are some of our most beautiful, xeric, low care plants that help to cover large areas of the landscape

• Native shrubs are a key element of many, now destroyed or damaged, ecosystems and are more effective than trees for carbon sequestration

Caption: Fruit of Fendler’s Barberry

3. Native Shrubs and Trees Invaluable for native insects

• Recent research by Prof. Douglas Tallamy has shown that native trees and shrubs are essential food sources for native butterfly and moth caterpillars.

• Caterpillars are essential food utilized by songbirds to feed their chicks.

• Old World shrubs and trees, while beautiful are of very limited value for native insects to feed on.

• Native species must be planted in much greater numbers to support songbird populations

4. Native Shrubs for early spring flowers

Cliff Fendlerbush (Fendlera rupicola)

Photo Caption: Close-up of fragrant flowers

5. Native Shrubs for early spring flowers

Utah Service Berry (Amelanchier utahensis) - Fragrant flowers are followed by dry blue-black fruit eaten by songbirds

6. Native Shrubs for early spring flowers

Creeping Oregon Grape (Mahonia repens) – excellent for shade, partial shade under aspens

7. Native Shrubs for early spring flowers Groundcover Sand Cherry (Prunus besseyi Pawnee Buttes®)

Photo captions: Fragrant flowers in early spring that attract native and honey bees, Glossy, deep green foliage in the summer

8. Native Shrubs for early spring flowers Groundcover Sand Cherry (Prunus besseyi Pawnee Buttes®)

Photo caption: Beautiful fall foliage growing over Delosperma (Cold Hardy Ice Plant) and around Havard’s Agave (Agave havardiana)

9. Native Shrubs for early spring flowers Crandall Currant (Ribes odoratum ‘Crandall’) - The flowers are an essential early season nectar source for migrating hummingbirds

10. Native Shrubs for early spring flowers Spreading Sumac (Rhus aromatica ‘Gro Low’

Photo caption: The small chartreuse flowers buzzing with bees !

11. Native Shrubs for early spring flowers Spreading Sumac (Rhus aromatica ‘Gro-Low’)

Photo captions: Glossy green foliage on horizontally spreading branches, Fantastic fall foliage

12. Native Shrubs for late spring flowers Philadelphus lewisii ‘Cheyenne’ (Mock Orange)

Photo captions: Perfumed flowers, Blooming with Lavender

13. Native Shrubs for late spring flowers Fremont’s Mahonia (Mahonia fremontii) – spiny evergreen foliage.Yellow flowers and a

photo caption: Growing in a red rock canyon habitat in south-central UT

14. Native Shrubs for mid- to late spring flowers Fremont’s Mahonia (Mahonia fremontii) – evergreen foliage with yellow flowers and red fruit

15. Native Shrubs for Late Spring flowers Sulfur Buckwheat (Eriogonum)

• Eriogonum umbellatum v. aureum ‘Kanah Creek’

• Eriogonum umbellatum with Penstemon pseudospectabilis ‘Coconino County’

16. Native Shrubs for late spring flowers Desert Sage (Salvia dorrii)

Photo captions: Salvia dorrii v. incana close-up of flowers with Hymenoxys scaposa (L), Salvia dorrii v. incana with Hesperaloe ↓

17. Native shrubs for mid-spring flowers Desert Peach (Prunus andersonii) - growing in among mine ruins in Nevada

18. Native shrubs for mid-spring flowering shrubs

Desert peach (Prunus andersonii) with fragrant flowers followed by small colorful but uneatable (for humans) fruit

19. Native Shrubs for late spring color Fendler’s Barberry (Berberis fendleri) - Profuse spring flowers of the Taos Co., NM form

Photo caption: Incredible fall/winter display of red edible fruit

20. Native Shrubs for late spring flowers Yucca are evergreen succulent shrubs and small trees

Photo captions: Prairie Yucca (Yucca glauca) in a perennial garden, Beaked Yucca (Yucca rostrata) is tree forming species in my Santa Fe garden

21. Native Shrubs for summer flowers Fernbush (Chamaebatiera millifolium) - Flower spikes like a summer blooming lilac

22. Native Shrubs for summer flowers Pineleaf Penstemon (Penstemon pinifolius) is a small evergreen sub-shrub with very showy flowers

23. Native Shrubs with fine textured foliage

Photo captions: Sand Sage (Artemisa filifolia) with Monarda fistulosa, Beautiful gray foliage

24. Native shrubs for summer flowers Giant Purple Sage (Salvia pachyphylla)

Photo captions: Close up of ‘Mulberry Flambe’ flower spikes, Growing with Lavender and tree Yucca

25. Native shrubs for summer seeds display Curl Leaf Mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius) - Large evergreen shrub or small tree

Photo caption: Fluffy seed tails glow in sunlight (R)

26. Native shrubs for summer seeds display Apache Plume (Falugia paradoxa)

Photo captions: Feathery seed heads catching the sun at dusk, White flowers ripen to pink feathery seed heads

27. Native Shrubs for fall flowers Rabbit Brush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus)

Photo caption: Growing with Three leaf sumac (Rhus) ↑

28. Native Shrubs for fall foliage New Mexico Privet (Forestiera neomexicana)

Photo captions: Large shrub or small multi-stem tree in fall color with bird attracting fall fruit. Separate male and female plants

29. Native trees for spring flowers Red Bud (Cercis)

There are several native species of Redbud that do well here in Santa Fe.

• Cercis occidentalis (California Redbud)

• Cercis reniformis ‘Oklahoma’

Photo caption: Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)

30. Native trees for spring flowers Prunus serotina var. virens

Photo captions: A mature tree in the Gila National Forest, A close-up of the prolific cherries

31. Native Trees for spring flowers Fragrant Ash (Fraxinus cuspidata) - a very uncommon species from the Four Corners (UT,AZ,NM,CO)

Photo caption: Photos by Dave Dreesen, Los Lunas Plant Materials Center, NM

32. Native trees for summer flowers

Chilopsis linearis (Desert Willow) - There are many beautiful cultivars being grown now, This tree is a favorite of hummingbirds

Photo captions: Chilopsis linearis Timeless Beauty® is a everbloomng seedless tree

33. Native trees for fall foliage

• Big tooth Maple (Acer grandidentatum) in the fall

• Gambel Oak (Quercus gambelii) in fall color

34. A beautiful planting of native trees, shrubs and ornamental grasses on Museum Hill at dusk

Notes:

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