Southwest Plant and Landscaping Ideas

Water-wise gardens of the Southwest don't have to look barren. Gardeners can grow plants like strawberry pitaya cactus (Echinocereus enneacanthus), which bears showy magenta flowers.

Xeriscaping means landscaping to conserve water. It includes growing plants that need little water, irrigating efficiently, limiting areas of turf and mulching.

Glory of Texas (Thelocactus bicolor) flowers throughout the year. It's called "bicolored" for the red centers in its rosy-pink blooms.

Night-blooming cereus opens its fragrant, white flowers for just one night each summer. Rats and rabbits feast on the sprawling stems of this cactus, while many birds, coyotes and tortoises eat its red fruits.