Question

I have two giant fruitless Mulberry trees in my front yard. They are messy, but provide a lot of shade during hot Southern Utah summers. Nothing will grow under them because, I am told, they rob all the water. No grass. No flowers. My front yard is sandy dirt. Can you suggest either some kinds of plants, or other landscaping idea that will keep the dirt from blowing inside my home, as well as make for a pretty yard?

Answer
Hello,

You might want to consider replacing those mulberrys. There are other trees such as mesquite that consume much less water and can also provide shade. Overhead cover such as awnings and arbors can also provide shade.

I would suggest you stabilize your soil with erosion control blankets as a first step. Erosion control blankets are made of biodegradable material. They are attached to the ground with staples. They must be firmly attached and make good contact with the ground and be sealed on all edges or erosion will take place under the blankets.

Once you have the blankets in place you can begin planting. The blankets will prevent erosion while the plants become established. When the plants become established their roots will hold the soil in place and prevent erosion.

A sand fence can also be used. This is similar to a snow or silt fence and traps sand behind it. This prevents the sand from being blown into other areas (such as your house).

The following is a list of plants for use in arid regions. Check to see if these plants will grow in your particular area:

Perenials:

Arizona columbine
Artemisias
Asters
Baby's Breath
Blue pineleaf beardtongue
Columbine
Coreopsis
Delphinium
Echinacea
Gaillardia
Gayfeather
Iris
Lamb's Ears
Lavender
Pansy     
Perennial Flax
Poppy Mallow
Purple Coneflower
Red Valerian
Sages
Scarlet hedgenettle

Statice
Sweet William
Texas hummingbird mint
Tulips and crocuses
Yarrow
Yellow Black-eyed Susan
Yucca

Annuals:

Cosmos
Desert Dragon
Desert PeaGanzania
Marigold
Mexican Sunflower
Pentas New Look
Phlox
Portulacca Sundial
Red Plume Blanket
Rose Campion
Santolina
Statice
Vinca Passion
Zinnias


Shrubs and Trees
    Shrubs
Smoke tree
Washington hawthorne
Japanese black pine
Cinquefoil
Fragrant zumac
Mountain currant
Sassafras
Honeysuckle
Witch hazel
Rugosa roses
Bayberry    
California lilac
Heather

Trees
Acacia
Aralia
Bottle Tree
Gray Birch
Common Pater Mulberry
European Hackberry
Carob
Monterey Cypress   
Eucalyptus
Fig
Juniper
Osage Orange
Chinaberry
Common Olive
White Poplar
Black Locust
Siberian Elm
Gray Dogwood
Amur Maple


Succulents
    Succulents (leaf color)
Aconium arborium - green
Cotyledon orbiculata -gray- green, red-edged
Crassula argentea - 'Sunset', yellow, tinged red
C. 'Campfire' - green, turns orange-red with maturity
Dudleya brittonii - chalky blue
Echeveria agavoides 'RubyLips'
- green, tips reddish brown
Kalanchoe pumila - lavender
Sedum adolphii - orange,bronze
S. rubrotinctum 'Aurora' - pink to bronze
Sempervivum tectorum - gray green, tipped reddish brown Senecio serpens - blue-gray
S. mandraliscae - blue-gray    

(flower color)
Aconium floribundum - yellow
Aloe aristata - orange-red
A.saponaria - orange to pink
A. vera - yellow
Bulbine cuulescens - lemon
Crassula falcata - deep red
C. multicava - pink
Delosperma cooperi - purple
D. nubigenum - golden yellow
Echeveria elegans - pink
E. imbricata - orange-red
E. pulvinata - red
E. Set-oliver - red and yellow
Kalanchoe pumila - lavender
Lampranthus productus - purple
L. aurantiacus - orange
L. spectabilis - pink, red, purple



Desert Trees:

# Catclaw Acacia, Acacia greggii,18' high by 15' wide. Deciduous.
# Sweet Acacia, Acacia smallii, 30' high by25' wide. Deciduous.
# Netleaf (Canyon) Hackberry, Celtis laevigata, var. reticulata, 30' high by 25' wide. Deciduous
# Blue Palo Verde, Cercidium floridum, 20' high by 20' wide. Deciduous.
# Foothills Palo Verde, Cercidium microphylum, 20' X 20'. Deciduous.
# Mexican Rosebud, Cercis Canadensis, var. mexicana, 20'X 12'. Deciduous.
# Desert Willow, Chilopsis linearis, 25' X 15'. Deciduous.
# Italian Cypress, Cupressus sempervirens, 60' X 8'. Evergreen.
# Texas Persimmon, Diospyros texana, 30' X 20'. Deciduous.
# Littleleaf Ash, Fraxinus greggi, 15' X 8'. Semi-Evergreen.
# Alligator Juniper, Juniperus deppeana, 20' X 18'. Evergreen.
# One-seed Juniper, Juniperus monosperma, 18' X 10'. Evergreen.
# Mexican Palo Verde, Leuceana retusa, 30' X 30'. Deciduous.
# Afghan Pine, Pinus eldarica, 70' X 30'. Evergreen.
# Aleppo Pine, Pinus halepensis, 40' X 15'. Evergreen.
# Mt. Atlas Pistache, Pistacia atlantica, 30' X 20'. Deciduous.
# Texas Pistache, Pistacia mexicana (pistacia texana), 20' X 15'. Semi-evergreen.

# Chilean Mesquite, Prosopis chilensis, 30' X 30'. Semi-evergreen.
# Honey Mesquite, Prosopis glandulosa, 25' X 25'. Deciduous.
# Screwbean Mesquite, Prosopis pubescens, 20' X 15'. Deciduous.
# Arizona White Oak, Quercus arizonica, 35' X 30'. Evergreen.
# Gray Oak, Quercus grisea, 30' X 25'. Evergreen.
# Mexican Blue Oak, Quercus oblongifolia, 25' X 20'. Deciduous.
# Cork Oak, Quercus suber, 30' X 20', Evergreen.
# Mexican Elder, Sambucus mexicana, 35' X 15'. Semi-eveergreen.
# Western Soapberry, Sapindus saponaria, var. drummondii, 30' X 20'. Deciduous.


Low water use desert shrubs:

# Whitehorn Acacia, Acacia constricta, 12 feet high and 10 feet wide. Deciduous.
# Blackbrush Acacia, Acacia rigidula, 18 feet high by 10 feet wide, deciduous.
# Desert Honeysuckle, Anisacanthus thurberi, five feet by 4 feet. Deciduous.
# Manzanita, Arctostaphylos pungens, five feet high by 10 feet wide. Evergreen.
#White beebrush, Aloysia gratissima, eight feet by five feet. Deciduous.
# Flame acanthus, Anisacanthus quadrifidus, five feet by four feet. Deciduous.
# Sand Sagebrush, Artemesia filifolia, six feet by five feet. Evergreen.
# Four-wing saltbush, Atriplex canescens, six feet by eight feet. Semi-evergreen.
# Desert broom, Baccharis sarothroides, 10 feet by eight feet. Evergreen.
# Quail bush, Atriplex lentiformis, 12 feet by 15 feet. Semi-Evergreen.
# Red barberry, Berberis haematocarpa, five by five. Evergreen.
# Mentor barberry, Berberis mentorensis, seven by seven. Deciduous.
# Red-leaf Japanese barberry, Berberis thunbergii 'atropurperea', two feet by two feet. Deciduous.
# Wooly butterfly bush, Buddleia marrubiifolia, four feet by four feet. Semi-evergreen.
Desert bird of paradise, Caesalpinia gilliesii, 8 X 6. Deciduous.
# Mexican bird of paradise, Caesalpinia mexicana, 10 X 6. Deciduous.
# Fairy duster, Calliandra eriophylla, 4 X 3. Deciduous.

# Desert Hackberry, Celtis pallida, 8 X 10.Deciduous.
# Winterfat, Ceratoides lanata, 3 X 2. Evergreen.
# Fernbush, Chamaebatiaria millefolium, 6 X 4. Evergreen.
# Cliffrose, Cowania mexicana, 12 X 8. Evergreen.
# Turpentine bush, Ericamia laricifolia, 3 X 2. Evergreen.
# Rubber Rabbitbush, Ericameria nauseous, 6 X 6. Semi-evergreen.
# Flattop buckwheat, Eriogonum fasciculatum, 1.5 X 2. Evergreen.
# Apache Plume, Fallugia paradoxa, 6 X 5. Evergreen.
# New Mexico Privet, Foresteria neomexicana, 15 X 10, Deciduous.
# Bush lantana, Lantana camara, 4 X 6. Perennial.
# Creosote bush, Larrea tridentate, 5 X 5. Evergreen.
# Cimarron sage, Leucophyllum langmaniae, 5 X 5. Evergreen.
# Fragrant rain sage, Leucophyllum pruinosum, 5 X 5. Evergreen.
# Pale Wolfberry, Lycium palladium, 4 X 5. Deciduous.
# Russian sage, Perovskia atriplicfolia, 6 X 6. Deciduous.
# Desert rosemary mint, Poliomintha incana, 3 X 4. Semi-evergreen.
# Shrub oak, Quercus turbinella, 15 X 10. Evergreen.
# Littleleaf sumac, Rhus microphylla, 8 X 10. Deciduous.
# Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis, 3 X 4. Evergreen.

# Texas mountain laurel, Soflora secundiflora, 15 X 10. Evergreen.
# Spanish broom, Spartium junceum, 8 X 5. Evergreen.
# Mexican blue sage, Salvia chamaedryoides, 2 X 3. Semi-evergreen.
# Chaparrel sage, Salvia clevelandii, 4 X 5. Evergreen.
# Yellow bells, Tecoma stans, 6 X 4. Deciduous.
# Mexican buckeye, Ungnadia speciosa, 15 X 10. Deciduous.
# Arizona rosewood, Vauquelina californica, 15 X 10. Evergreen.
(First numeral is the height,second numeral is the canopy width.)


Low water use groundcovers:

   * Prairie Sagebrush, also known as White Sagebrush, Artemesia ludoviciana, 2' X 3', evergreen.
   * Coyote Bush, Baccharis hybrid, 4' high X 5' wide, evergreen.
   * California Ice Plant, Carpobrotus chilensis, 1' high X 5' wide. Evergreen.
   * Common Ice Plant, Carpobrotus edulis, 1' high X 5'wide. Evergreen.
   * Trailing Yellow Dalea, Dalea capitata, 1' high X 5' wide. Evergreen.
   * Prostrate Indigo Bush, also known as Trailing Indigo Bush, Dalea greggii, 1' high X 3' wide. Evergreen.
   * Trailing lantana, Lantana montevidensis, 1' high X 3' wide. Perennial.
   * Prostrate Rosemary, Romarius prostrates, 2' high X 8' wide. Evergreen.
   * Skullcap, Scutellaria suffretescens, 2' high X 3' wide. Evergreen.
   * Stonecrop, Sedum spp. , six inches high X 2' wide.



Low water use perenials:

# Fragrant sand verbena, Abronia fragrans, 1.5' high X 3' wide.
# Garlic chives, Allium tuberosum, 1.5' high X 6-8 inches wide.
# Blue Star, Amsonia spp. , 2' high X 1' wide.
# Butterfly weed, Asclepias tuberose, 2' high X 2' wide.
# Chocolate daisy, Berlanderia lyrata, 2' high X 1' wide.
# Desert marigold, Baileya multiradiata, 1.5' high X 1' wide.
# Sundrops, Calylophus hartwegii, 1' high X 3' wide.
# Indian Paintbrush, Castilleja integra, 1.5' high X six inches wide.
# Blue Mist, Conoclinium gregii, 3' high X 2' wide.
# Coreopsis, Coreopsis lanceolata, 2' high X 1' wide.
# Purple Coneflower, Echinacea purpera, 3' high X 1' wide.
# Cutleaf daisy, Engelmannia pinnatifida, 3' high X 2' wide.
# Spreading fleabane daisy, Erigeron divergens, 1.5' high X 2' wide.
# Western Wallflower, Erysimum capitatum, 3' high X 1' wide.
# Siberian Wallflower, Erysimum hieracifolium, 1.5' high X 1' wide.
# Red Indian Blanket, Gaillardia amblyodon, 1' high X 2' wide.
# Blanket Flower (Firewheel), Gaillardia spp. , 1' high X 1' wide.
# Golden Aster, Heterotheca villosa, 1.5' high X 1.5' wide.
# Gayfeather, Liatris punctata, 3' high X 1' wide.
# Blue Flax, Linum lewisii, 2' high X 1' wide.
# Plains Penstemon, Penstemon ambiguous, 4' high X 3' wide.
# Scarlet Bugler, Penstemon barbatus, 2' high X 2' wide.
# Canyon Penstemon, Penstemon pseudospectabilis, 3' high X 2' wide.

# Blue Sage, Salvia farinaceae, 1.5' high X 1' wide.
# Mexican Bush Sage, Salvia leucantha, 4' high X 4' wide.
# Globe Mallow, Sphaeralcea sp. , 3' high X 5' wide.
# Mountain Marigold, Tagetes lemmonii, 3' high X 3' wide.
# Angelita Daisy, Tetraneuriis acaulis, 1' high X 1' wide.
# Hummingbird Trumpet, Zauschneria California, 2' high X 3' wide.
# Rain Lily, Zephryanthus spp. , 1' high X six inches wide.


Use a combination of plants from the above list for  your garden design. Many arid region plants will do well under certain trees,such as mesquite and even benefit from the cool temperatures and nutrients provided by the tree.

You can either change the soil type by for example,adding organic material or leave the soil in its present state and use plants adapted to that soil type. Sandy soils do not hold water well and lack nutrients.

To conserve water use rocks and gravel. Gravel and small rocks can be used as mulch and larger rocks can be used as accents or to construct a rock garden.  Mulch is necessary to conserve water,either as an organic mulch or gravel. Since you will have to limit the number of plants used, to conserve water,use gravel and rock to create "dry landscape" effects.  The gravel and rocks will also help hold the soil in place.

You may want to begin rain harvesting. This involves using various strategies to capture rain water for use by your plants. It could involve collecting water in rain barrels fed by water from your roof,diverting water from your roof or other runoff areas directly to your garden and constructing holding areas in your garden to collect rain water.  Good luck. Write back if I can be of further help.

Mark Harshman
http://www.mahdrafting.com
Email: [email protected]

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