AZ Landscape

May 5 2026

Best Plants for Native Pollinators

Robbie Blog Arizona Landscape, ArizonaLandscaping, AZ Landscape, HOA Landscaping

Many people talk about supporting “the bees” when designing gardens and landscapes. What most may not know, though, is that the “Honey Bee” that we associate with “the bees” are not native to the Americas. European Honey Bees (and their “Africanized” counterparts) are, as their name suggests, from Europe. They were first spotted in the Americas shortly after the beginning of European colonization of the New World. They pollinate numerous flowers throughout the Americas today, though in many ways they harm the environment by outcompeting native pollinators and spreading insect diseases.

Arizona alone is home to over 1,300 species of native bees, almost all of which have been ecologically challenged by European Honey Bees. Additionally, there are 300 species of butterflies, 28 species of bats, dozens of birds, and even many flies and other small insects that cooperate with the native plants of our state to create stable ecosystems. Honey bees pollinate some of the plants in the desert, but not all of them. Some plants rely entirely on specific native animals to reproduce. Therefore, if you can install any plants that support native pollinators, you’ll be contributing to their survival in our urban areas. And guess what? Most native pollinators don’t even sting.

Some plants that bring native pollinators to your home include: Desert Milkweed (Asclepias subulata), Vining Milkweed (Funastrum cynanchoides), Desert Marigold (Baileya multiradiata), Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis), Ocotillo (Fourquieria splendens), Desert Lavender (Hyptis emoryi), Chuparosa (Justicia californica), Creosote (Larrea tridentata), Blackfoot Daisy (Melampodium leucanthum), Deergrass (Muhlenbergia rigens), Ironwood Tree (Olneya tesota), Blue Palo Verde (Parkinsonia florida), Hedgehog Cactus (Echinocereus engelmanii), Parry’s Penstemon (Penstemon parryi), Globe Mallow (Sphaeralcaea ambigua), Velvet Mesquite (Prosopis velutina), Arizona Rosewood (Vauquelinia californica), and many, many more. European Honey Bees will still take pollen from many of these, but the benefits of providing space for native pollinators will be greatly appreciated by Arizona wildlife of all types.

Assuming you already have established trees in your yard, the top three picks for shrubs that support native pollinators would probably be the Desert Milkweed (Asclepias subulata), Desert Lavender (Hyptis emoryi), and Arizona Rosewood (Vauquelinia californica). The Desert Milkweed in particular is special for its role as the main food source for Monarch Butterflies during their yearly migration through Arizona. Please feel free to include as much native plant biodiversity as possible in your yard if you are able! Doing so increases the number of native animal species that can have a safe, survivable haven amidst the sprawl of the Phoenix metro area.

At ELS Maintenance & Construction, we grow and install native plants that we are happy to install in landscapes throughout the valley. If you know of a community or commercial center that needs new landscapers, email robbie@evergreenaz.com and we can get started!

December 2 2025

The Importance of Mycorrhizae

Robbie Blog AZ Landscape, HOA Landscaping

Did you know that nearly all soil contains fungus? Often we think of fungus as a problem in landscaping and gardening, but this is only a small part of the picture. There are many harmful fungi that can take advantage of poor drainage, weakened immune systems in plants, and many other variables. However, the majority of fungus species present in soil are either neutral or beneficial to the health of plants. These beneficial fungi interact with bacteria and the compounds in the soil itself to make nutrients easier for plants to absorb! There’s actually a name for the part of the soil that contains these vital fungi: the “the Mycorrhizal Network.”

These networks of fungus and roots are the most robust in wetter regions, especially in forests, but mycorrhiza is vital to life in the Sonoran Desert as well. In our ecosystem, mycorrhizae live amongst, and connect the root systems of shrubs, trees, and cacti in a fascinating balancing act of mutual relationships. Legumes, such as Palo Verdes, Mesquites, and Ironwoods, have special “nodules” in their roots that contain colonies of Nitrogen-producing bacteria that provide much-needed nutrition for both the plants and fungi in their rootspans. Fungi break down dead organic material, converting it into nutrients for plants to consume. Trees, shrubs, and cacti then grow and create more shade, preserving moisture and lowering the temperature in the ground. All of this creates a self-sustaining cycle that can carry organisms through the difficult summers in the Sonoran Desert.

A common problem in Arizona landscaping, thus, is the elimination of the mycorrhizal network. Construction, followed by the separation of individual landscaped spaces from the wider ecosystem by roads, houses, and pipes, can sometimes lead to the death of most microorganisms in yards and streetscapes. If you’re having difficulty establishing plants in an otherwise empty gravel yard, this is likely one of the reasons why. The best solutions to this include installing multiple plants of varying heights (tree, shrub, groundcover) at around the same time, buying healthy plants that haven’t been in their pots too long, and treating the soil.

Luckily, there are many easy ways to introduce beneficial microbes to the soil. Most organic fertilizers come with mycorrhizae (including fungus and bacteria), and need to be used shortly after purchasing so that the microbes don’t die off. Additionally, breaking up soil with high salt buildup is a great way to improve the quality of your yard’s mycorrhizal network. Gypsum, Sulfur, and Humic Acid are great soil amendments to improve root growth and mycorrhizal health. Adding organic mulch to the topsoil is also a great way to support beneficial fungi. Overall, improving your soil is one of the best ways to ensure that your plants, trees, and cacti can truly thrive, even in a new yard!

At ELS Maintenance & Construction, we do our best to improve and maintain the quality of soil so plants of all sizes can truly thrive. If you know of a community or commercial center that needs new landscapers, email contactus@evergreenaz.com and we can get started!

December 2 2025

What To Plant If You Want Winter Blooms

Robbie Blog ArizonaLandscaping, AZ Landscape

In many other regions in the United States, there is no expectation for flowers to be blooming during the coldest months of the year. The Sonoran Desert, however, has a fall growing season that leads to certain plants flowering even during the winter!

As for flowers, there are many options that you can plant right now which will continue blooming through the winter if you keep them healthy. Petunias, Snapdragons, Pansies, Violas, Alyssum, Calendulas, and even some varieties of Geraniums can keep flowering through the coldest times of the year in the Sonoran Desert. Most of these can even handle mild frosts without issue, though it may still be smart to cover them during freezing nights.

If you’re looking for larger, more permanent plants in your yard’s landscaping that offer some color during the cold of the winter, there are a few choices for you as well. The Valentine Emu (Eremophila maculata) is a super strong Australian shrub that gets covered in reddish-pink flowers in the winter, most notably around Valentine’s Day. Lantanas (Lantana), Yellow Bells (Tecoma), Roses (Rosa), and Cape Honeysuckles (Tecomaria) all have the capacity to bloom in waves throughout the winter, though they are much more liable to be damaged during cold snaps. If the winter is warmer than average, some Penstemons and Desert Marigolds (Baileya multiradiata) can bloom as early as January. Aloes such as the Aloe Vera (Aloe vera), Blue Elf Aloe (Aloe ‘Blue Elf’), and Tiger Aloe (Gonialoe variegata) are very cold-hardy and bloom between December and March.

It’s harder to find trees that bloom in the winter, but there are still a few good examples. The Sweet Acacia (Vachellia farnesiana) bursts forth with huge quantities of yellow puffball-shaped flowers from January through March. The Hong Kong Orchid Tree (Bauhinia x blakeana) flowers from the late fall through the early winter. Finally, the Mexican Redbud (Cercis canadensis var. mexicana) is dormant for much of the winter, but becomes absolutely covered in red-pink flowers in late February or early March, before leaves grow in for the spring.

Now is the best time to install plants if you want showy growth for the fall and stable blooms for the winter!

At ELS Maintenance & Construction, we install vibrant palettes of smart landscaping plants in communities throughout the Phoenix metro area. If you know of a community or commercial center that needs new landscapers, email contactus@evergreenaz.com and we can get started!

Pink,Bauhinia,Flower,Blooming,,Closeup,Purple,Orchid,Tree,Or,Purple

December 2 2025

Arizona’s Fall Growing Season

Robbie Blog Arizona Landscape, AZ Landscape

Despite the brutality of Arizona’s summers, a huge benefit our region has over others is the rare phenomenon of having TWO growing seasons. Once the temperature has descended consistently below the 100-degree mark and nighttime temperatures creep into the low 70s to mid 60s, we’ve reached the Sonoran Desert’s fall growing season.

This is perhaps the best time of year to install new trees and shrubs, on par with the springtime. Landscape companies throughout the valley will be adding fresh vegetation to communities and homes for the next few months until we approach the cold of winter. The responsible period of fall planting lasts until around Thanksgiving, after which a plant’s acclimation period may overlap with the first frosts of the winter. Deciduous trees have a wider planting window, since they will already be dormant and thus not be damaged by mild frosts in the early winter.

If you’re looking to do some fall gardening, some great crop choices include peas, beans, carrots, spinach, kale, garlic, radishes, and more. Planting these right now is a great way to guarantee that by the time the weather is too cold for them to thrive, you’ll have hopefully made some decent harvests. Of course, the animals are just as happy that the weather’s cooled off as you are, so be sure to protect these crops from uninvited guests.

The cooler weather also invites a change in annual flowers from the summer survivors to plants that thrive in the cooler temperature. Some summer flowers can keep going through the fall, such as vincas, portulacas, and dwarf snapdragons. Some fresh fall flowers include marigolds, petunias, lobelias, society garlic, rocket snapdragons, and many more.

For plants of all sizes, it’s important to keep irrigation in mind. While the duration and frequency of watering may decrease once the temperature has dropped, new installs often need extra water while they’re getting established in the ground. This is a great time to shift irrigation drips further away from the trunks of more established trees and shrubs to inspire them to grow more robust root systems and mitigate storm damage.

The fall is also a great time to fertilize plants of all types, treat root systems with soil injections and soil acidifiers, and add fresh mulch. All of these things will contribute to a healthier yard in the long term.

At ELS Maintenance & Construction, we install new trees and shrubs and complete much-needed biannual work both during the spring and fall planting seasons throughout the Valley. If you know of a community or commercial center that needs new landscapers, email contactus@evergreenaz.com and we can get started!

December 2 2025

Preventing Javelina Damage in Arizona Yards

Robbie Blog AZ Landscape

The Arizona summer presents many challenges due to the weather. The heat can kill plants, or at the very least, weaken their immune systems. When plants are weakened and the weather is hot and dry, desert animals such as rabbits, kangaroo rats, and javelinas come in to eat them up. Javelinas are known for causing some of the most notorious damage if you live in a neighborhood where they are present. They can eat young shrubs, weak bushes, and even entire cacti if they are experiencing drought conditions. Sometimes they can even throw around gravel and knock over trash cans, creating huge messes. While we shouldn’t be mad at the javelinas themselves (it’s a hot summer and they’re just trying to survive like all of us), there are some things we can do to make them less likely to mess with landscape plants in the first place.

The first major preventative measure that can be taken against javelina damage is to install plants that they won’t eat. Some have unpleasant tastes, and some are actively poisonous when consumed, so ask a professional about your planting choices if you have a pet that likes to chew on random things. Any plant in the Euphorbia Genus is too poisonous for javelinas to eat; including Firesticks (Euphorbia tirucalli), Candelilla (Euphorbia antisyphilitica), and many more. Flowers in the daisy family are usually left alone as well, with some being poisonous and others just unpleasant-tasting. Blackfoot Daisies (Melampodium leucanthum), Damianitas (Chrysactinia mexicana), and Euryops Daisies (Euryops pectinatus) are some classics that are typically left alone. Sonoran Desert native shrubs such as Creosote (Larrea tridentata), Triangle Bursage (Ambrosia deltoidea), Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis), and Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa) are usually left alone as well. Flowers like Vincas and most types of Lavender are generally considered javelina-proof too. The list goes on!

If you have plants already installed that are frequently tormented by hungry javelinas, another strategy is to sprinkle natural substances. Javelinas’ main sense is smell, so a strong smell can keep them away. Spices such as cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder will keep javelinas repulsed until the next rainstorm comes, but after that these will need to be re-applied immediately for best results. If you don’t want to waste your spices, you can also buy containers of granular Coyote Urine at most nurseries. The smell of predators will keep most javelinas away for up to a month, or until some good rainstorms wash away the scent.

None of these strategies are 100% guaranteed to keep the javelinas away, especially if the summer is particularly hot and dry. If they get particularly desperate, they may still uproot a poisonous plant just to double-check if anything under the soil is worth eating. Javelinas are a part of the Sonoran Desert ecosystem, and it’s best to leave them alone and let them live their lives. Some people even create javelina gardens, spaces with large bushes full of things that javelinas like to eat to keep them from having to resort to messing with the more precious landscape items. Most yards don’t have enough open space for that, though.

At ELS Maintenance & Construction, we identify pest damage and work to mitigate or prevent it wherever it is spotted. If you know of a community or commercial center that needs new landscapers, email contactus@evergreenaz.com and we can get started!

December 1 2025

How to Water Trees for the Arizona Summer

Robbie Blog Arizona Landscape, AZ Landscape, HOAMaintenance, Landscape Management

The Sonoran Desert summer is known for the powerful “dry heat” interrupted by occasional monsoon storms during its latter half. This heat causes stress to plants of all shapes and sizes, from the most robust cactus to the smallest groundcover shrub. Native plants have evolved to handle this stress in the wild, but in manmade landscape environments even they can fall victim to heat damage if not cared for properly.

Most yards in the Phoenix area use drip irrigation systems. By properly utilizing drip irrigation, you can help the trees and shrubs in your yard establish strong, healthy root systems that will help them withstand the summer heat and resist wind damage in the long term. The duration and frequency of watering is vital to the creation of a strong plant. This article focuses on trees, but the same principle applies for shrubs.

The best strategy to help a tree survive the summer in the long term is to do deep, infrequent watering once the tree is established. Let’s say you have a drip irrigation system that supplies water to many trees and shrubs in your yard. You can keep everything on a regular irrigation cycle, but this cycle should emphasize duration over frequency, especially if your plants are already established for at least a year. Instead of watering trees twice a day for 20 minutes each, water them for, as an example, once a week for three hours. These numbers aren’t exact, as every yard is in a different situation with its soil, sunlight, and slopes, and every tree species has different needs. This idea applies universally, though.

In Arizona’s alkaline, high-clay soil, it takes a high water volume to soak deep into the ground. If you water your trees in a way more similar to the “twice a day, 20 minutes each” style, it’s very likely that the water doesn’t soak into the ground as much as it just moves around. In the long term, that method leads to weaker roots and more wasted money due to evaporation. It may seem overkill, but letting your irrigation run for a long duration, less often, leads to more water soaking into the ground and providing a more consistent water supply for your trees and all nearby plants. This is healthier for the plants and saves money in the long term. Once a tree is established, you can water it manually by leaving a hose trickling for several hours once every week (or even less frequently, depending on the species), and it won’t even need to have drips anymore.

The average nighttime temperatures in the valley have been increasing due to the many heat sources in the city (roads, roofs, parking lots, etc) creating a worsening “heat bubble” around the city. This makes survival more difficult for plants of all types. Thus, creating shade is absolutely vital for the future of the Phoenix area. If you want to create long-lasting, healthy shade trees that won’t fall over in a windstorm, this strategy of long but infrequent watering is pretty much a requirement. It will create healthy trees with robust root systems, which will save you money and improve the health of every plant provided with healthy shade thanks to your efforts.

At ELS Maintenance & Construction, we install trees and shrubs the right way, improving the likelihood of long-term survival and creating the shade that we need so badly. If you know of a community or commercial center that needs new landscapers, email contactus@evergreenaz.com and we can get started!

March 26 2025

How To Properly Dig a Planting Hole

robbie@evergreen Blog Arizona Landscape, AZ Landscape, HOAMaintenance, Landscape Management

How To Properly Dig a Hole for Planting

It’s an understatement to say that one of the most important aspects of a landscape plant’s long-term health is the strategy with which it is initially installed. The manner in which the initial planting hole is dug is vital to this process, along with how that hole is filled in once the plant is in the ground.

The soil in the Phoenix area is highly alkaline and made mostly of clay, making the dimensions of the initial planting hole particularly important. For most plants, especially desert-adapted shrubs, trees, and cacti, it’s important that the planting hole is NO DEEPER than the initial container they came in. In fact, accounting for soil settling and crumbling in the pot, the hole could even be a bit shallower than the container the plant came in.

In these clay soils, width is extremely important to assisting the circulation and root growth of the plant. Typically, it is recommended that the hole be at least TWICE AS WIDE as the diameter of the container the plant came in. Most roots in desert-adapted plants grow much more horizontally than vertically, as that’s where the most water and air will be.

Once the hole is dug, it’s time to install the plant. Once it’s out of its container, it’s often a good idea to gently unravel any roots that are tightly bound. If the roots toward the bottom of the pot are so tightly wrapped up that they could make a basket, you can often pull the matted mess off the bottom. Be warned though, doing this may increase the plant’s initial shock damage. In the long run, it should be better for the plant’s longevity.

While many people like to add fresh compost or other soil to a planting hole, this is actually usually unnecessary, and can even worsen the plant’s chances of survival in the long term. It’s best to fill in the hole with the same soil that was dug out. This increases the likelihood that the plant will adapt to its surroundings quickly. When the hole is filled in, DON’T STOMP IT FLAT! It’s best to water the hole in so the air pockets in the soil are allowed to remain and gradually set naturally while the plant begins to grow new roots. Stomping down the soil can choke the plant’s roots of water and air and give it a disadvantage from the start. If you’re worried about erosion early on, it’s better to use rocks or gravel.

You should be able to clearly see the Root Flare of any plant that is freshly planted. The root flare is the plant’s transition from stalk to root. If all you see is a stalk or trunk going straight into the ground with no visible root flare, the plant is too deep in the ground. Sometimes, a plant may even be buried too deep in its container at a nursery, so be sure to clear out any soil that covers the root flare, even if it’s soil from the original container.

If you followed all these steps correctly, your plant should be off to a good start for its life in your yard!

At ELS Maintenance & Construction, we install plants using the best practices for each species in Arizona landscaping. If you know of a community or commercial center that needs new landscapers, email contactus@evergreenaz.com and we can get started!

Text content

January 31 2025

Invasive Plants Should Be Removed Before They Bloom

robbie@evergreen Blog Arizona Arbor Care, Arizona Landscape, ArizonaLandscaping, AZ Landscape, CommercialLandscaping, HOA Landscaping, HOAMaintenance, Landscape Management

Since the population boom in the Phoenix area in the past several decades numerous invasive weeds have been introduced to the environment which cause severe damage to the ecosystem and make wildfires more potent and frequent. The worst offenders include Buffel Grass, Brome, and, most recently, the notorious Globe Chamomile (“Stinknet”). Removing or killing these noxious weeds whenever possible is beneficial, but, for several reasons, it is much better to remove them while they are young.

First of all, it’s important to remember that blooming means reproduction. Allowing the pollen of invasive species to spread not only makes local allergies worse, but also causes these weeds to produce seeds that are prepared to sprout the following spring. It’s vital to remove invasive weeds while they are young, so that, at least in your area, there will be less of them to worry about next year. If you remove them too late, there’s also a good chance that you are spreading the unwanted seeds while pulling the mature plant material.

Secondly, invasive weeds that are allowed to grow to maturity will proceed to die and dry up. This dry plant material is fuel for fires. In fact, the species listed earlier are likely nearly entirely responsible for the increase in the size of wildfires in the Southwest in the past several years. If you can keep your property clear of invasive species, you lessen the likelihood that your home will be damaged in the case of a wildfire. It’s much easier to remove these weeds while the plants are alive and young and the weather is cool.

Additionally, it’s important to remember that invasive plants steal resources from native plants. If you allow invasive weeds to grow unimpeded, they will steal root space, water, and nutrients from the soil and weaken native plants leading into the summer. This especially applies to cacti, which rely almost entirely on shallow-depth capillary roots for their water. Invasive plants steal that water individually in small volumes, but collectively enough to put an established cactus into a state of drought.

A final note: Study the appearances of invasive weeds before you pull them, or contact a landscaping professional to do the work for you. It would be very unfortunate to accidentally remove a native plant!

At ELS Maintenance & Construction, we do whatever we can to minimize the growth and spread of invasive and noxious weeds! If you know of a community or commercial center that needs new landscapers, email contactus@evergreenaz.com and we can get started!

69946702673__FFB4FE89-5A79-4154-9109-8C5BC667B5C1.fullsizerender

December 30 2024

Dealing With Frost Damage in the Desert

robbie@evergreen Blog Arizona Landscape, AZ Landscape, HOA Landscaping

The Sonoran Desert winter is renowned across the United States for how pleasant it is compared to many other regions, however there are often weather patterns that lead to frosts or even occasional dustings of snow. When this happens, it’s important to follow these precautions to prevent causing permanent damage to your plants.

First, it’s important to know that, to a certain extent, frost damage is natural and normal. Simple frost damage can occur even when the temperature is nominally above freezing temperature, even as high as 40 degrees. As long as the temperature doesn’t drop below 29 degrees, simple frost damage should only cause temporary, cosmetic damage to established plants (though recent plantings and plants that are already suffering severe ailments may die). For plants that were chosen for our landscapes specifically for their compatibility with the Sonoran Desert, permanent issues start to arise if the temperature goes below freezing for multiple days in a row, or if snow settles on them for extended periods of time. If these occur, cell death in the bark and roots can cause even established trees and shrubs to lose limbs or, eventually, die.

If you look at the weather forecast and you can see that the temperature is expected to reach within 5 degrees of freezing temperature, it’s best to assume that frost damage is possible. Protect young plants and plants that you don’t want to look ugly for a few months with light blankets, towels, or frost cloths overnight to lessen the impact of the cold. Do NOT leave frost coverings on top of plants all day long, or for multiple days in a row without a break! Plants need to breathe too, and keeping the coverings on for too long can cause more damage than the frost itself would have done.

It may seem counterintuitive, but if you know a frost is approaching, you should give sensitive plants EXTRA water beforehand. A day before the frost arrives, give your plants a deeper watering than normal. This will keep the capillaries, roots, and bark of your plants full beforehand, which actually increases the internal temperature of the plants and lessens that damage to plant cells that do get frozen.

It doesn’t happen often, but if it does snow, and that snow lingers for more than an hour or two, you should do your best to shake or otherwise clean the snow off of desert plants that are covered. The ice can cause cell death in desert tree bark. Also, the plants of the desert, especially trees like the Palo Verde and thorny shrubs like the ocotillo, cannot bear the weight of snow for extended periods of time. During the “Snowpocalypse” of 2019, thousands of trees and ocotillos in the East Valley were flattened and killed by the weight of a strong snowfall that lingered for over two days. This was on a scale that could not have been prevented overall, but if the same happens in your yard you can do your best to mitigate the damage.

Finally, you need to be careful AFTER the frost is over. Shrubs with superficial frost damage should be LEFT ALONE until the risk of frost is over. Some plants go dormant in the winter, and frost can just be the final step for them to shed their remaining leaves – in which case, it’s okay to cut them back for aesthetics. But, if a bush is meant to be truly perennial and it gets cosmetic frost damage, or if a tree experiences severe frost damage, it is best to leave the damaged portions on the plant until springtime. Even if the branches look ugly and dead, they still provide the living portions of the plant protection from the cold. Wait until the last frosts of the spring are over, and then you can cut off the damaged parts. You’ll have to deal with some ugly looks for longer, but you’ll have healthier plants in the long term.

At ELS Maintenance & Construction, we handle the seasonal needs of plant materials and hardscapes alike with care and professionalism! If you know of a community or commercial center that needs new landscapers, email contactus@evergreenaz.com and we can get started!

September 20 2024

Low-Water Replacements for Grass Turfs

robbie@evergreen Blog Arizona Landscape, AZ Landscape, HOA Landscaping

Clover, Dichondra and Kurapia – Replacements for Grass?

These days, every level of Arizona society from the state government to local governments to individual homeowners are trying to find ways to preserve water. The most notable water consumer in residential areas is very obviously the grass, with golf courses and lawns swallowing up huge amounts of irrigation water throughout the Phoenix area. However, there is a quickly developing field (pun intended) of replacements for typical turf grasses with plants that consume much less water and can handle the Sonoran Desert climate for some or all the year.

Clover is often a weed that appears accidentally in turf spaces throughout Arizona. Recently, though, people have realized the reason clover likes to volunteer here so much. Clover can handle the heat and tolerate the higher pH levels of Phoenix-area soils, making it a great choice for a green space that will require less water and less fertilizer. Their flowers attract lots of pollinators, which can be good for a decorative space, but might cause issues if you have kids or pets playing around in the yard on a regular basis.

Dichondra is a type of clover, though it looks much different than the typical clover you may think of. Each leaf looks more like a small lily pad, and it makes for a pretty and soft looking bed when it grows nice and full. Like other clovers, it will barely, if ever, need to be mowed, as it maxes out at a height of only about 2 inches. It is best planted in areas that get morning sun and afternoon shade, as the summer sun can still cook them.

Kurapia is a new type of groundcover coming to the market, being a trademarked plant hybrid designed by Kurapia, Inc. specifically for the purpose of lowering water usage while still being a pretty and sun-hardy turf plant. They may use as much as 75% less water than a summer Bermuda grass, can handle the salinity and high pH of Arizona soil, and barely ever need to be mowed. Having even irrigation distribution is important for Kurapia, as uneven watering can lead to larger clumps forming in wetter spots while drier spots can end up looking sparse. Otherwise, this is a great replacement for typical turf grass! Learn more at Kurapia.com.

Ruschia nana is an interesting one. It looks like a dwarf version of various ice plants – with clusters of beautiful magenta flowers and everything – but this is a totally functional desert turf. While it looks like it would be fragile like a typical succulent, it is strong enough to walk on regularly without causing damage. It does great in the full sun and doesn’t need much maintenance whatsoever, though if certain areas thin out it may take a while to get them to fill in again. Learn more at Ruschiananaplugs.com.

If none of those options interest you, the best thing you can do for your yard is a Xeriscape Conversion. This is the act of removing turf altogether and replacing it with a lush, but still low-water, miniature Sonoran Desert ecosystem in your yard. This is the best choice for the environment, as you’ll create an oasis for native birds, pollinators, and other creatures that will help threatened species survive in the massive urban sprawl of the Phoenix area. There’s a catch though – if you have pre-existing trees and shrubs that are relying on the excess water from your turf space, a conversion without a plan can lead to all of them drying out and dying from suddenly losing their main water supply. If you’re going to do a xeriscape conversion, do it in the fall to give stressed plants several months to grow new roots before the next summer. Also, ensure good drip irrigation is getting to your trees and shrubs and supplement with occasional deep soakings, especially as their first summer without a lawn approaches.

At ELS Maintenance & Construction, we are conducting xeriscape conversions in communities throughout the valley to save water and recreate natural ecosystems. If you know of a community or commercial center that needs new landscapers, email contactus@evergreenaz.com and we can get started!