More colorful plants for the Southwest.  Here are some gorgeous, fantastic long-lasting plants that many homeowners are looking for. Landscaping your home can be done with perennials or annuals.

At Color Your World Gardening Nurseries we will always have a wide assortment of these types of plants during spring, summer, and fall.

Colorful plants for the Southwest

Below are general descriptions of spring perennials that will do well in the desert southwest. Generally, you should fertilize once in the spring, summer, and fall.  Don’t forget to water more often during the mid-summer heat.

If your plants are not blooming, there could be a lack of phosphorus in your soil. Use Carl Pool BR 61 9-58-8 24 oz to boost your blooms during the peak season.

Need to know your USDA plant hardiness zone? Click Here. Color Your World Nursery will have a variety of these plants during the seasonal year.

Ajuga Plants – Purplish/brownish in color grown for their foliage easy to grow and propagate. Can be used as ground cover.

Black Eyed Susan – Usually yellow daisy-like blooms with large black centers they do better in full sun.  Plant them in mass for great visual appeal.

Coral Bells – Fantastic foliage color in spring and fall. Flowers bloom in late spring.  Place them in containers with other perennials or annuals.  They are best as foreground plants with taller ones in the background.

Coreopsis – Beautiful yellow, blooms that will last from last early spring till mid-summer.  Plant them in the ground for a yellow color.

Daylily Plants – Daylilies are easy plants to grow from deep dark red to light pink blooms. Cut down during the cold season and they will pop up in mid-spring.

Columbine – Easy to grow perennial usually multi-colored but some species are gold in color.  Spiky blooms can tolerate a full or half-day of shade.

Petunias – These are flowering annual plants in the southwest.  They come in numerous colors and love the hot sun, especially the Wave Petunias.

Lantanas – Red, yellow, and gold are the hardiest and this is why I have them both as annuals and perennials.

Penstemons – Long spiky stems with beautiful small petal blooms. Full sun and good drainage will work best.

Rose of Sharon – Large purple, white, and pink blooms from mid-spring until late fall in the southwest. Can be trimmed into a small tree.

Salvias – Long spiky blooms that shoot straight up beautiful reds, purple, violet-blue, and even white.  Plant them in mass for a showy large groundcover.

Thyme Plants – A great-looking ground cover or use for hanging baskets or in containers with other taller perennials.

Yarrow – A good ground cover plant usually with yellow cloud-like blooms. Some species come in red easy to propagate. Plant in full sun but can tolerate some shade.

Annuals for spring color

What are annual plants? They are plants that will complete their life cycle within one growing season. In other words, if you plant pansies in spring, they look spectacular however the mid-summer heat will stress the plant. Replace pansies with other good summer annuals such as Gazania’s, Daisies, or Geraniums.

Pansies – Wide species with numerous colors. Good in containers and will survive light frost and snow. They start to droop during the hot summer months.

Violas – Also called “Johnny jump-ups”.  Small petaled flower with numerous colors. Short plants are perfect in pots with taller plants. Or plant in gardening beds for mass appeal.

Impatiens – Bright colored blooms from reds to whites. They do well in shady areas, including the hot summer months.

Gazania – Beautiful multi-colored blooms.

Cosmos – Beautiful yellow, red and pink blooms that will last from last spring until fall.

California Poppy – These Poppies do best in cooler temperatures. They come in yellow, white, scarlet, red, and bright orange. They do well in the spring and fall months.

Petunia – Excellent in hanging baskets or containers they like to be watered and fertilized often. Try the wave petunias as they are much more heat tolerant.

Daisy – Easy care annual usually yellow with a dark middle. Plant them in full sun for good growth. There are numerous varieties.  The Gerbera Daisy will do well in the Southwest.

Coleus – Several species to choose from. They like partial shade during the hot summer months and are grown for their foliage rather than blooms.

Geraniums – Perfect for flower beds, containers, and hanging baskets. They do not like temperatures below freezing.  Fertilize this plant at least once per month during the spring through fall seasons.

Click here for Spring Color Photos to see what some of these plants look like!