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Cacti and Kitty
Lamb's Ear
Homestead Purple Verbena
Century Plant
Beavertail Prickly Pear Cactus
Peruvian-Apple Cactus, Pitaya
Lamb's Ear

Common name:Lamb's Ear
Botanical name:Stachys byzantina

This tiny shrub will grow less than 1' tall and has medium-size, greyish-green leaves with blue and lavender flowers that bloom in the spring. This shrub is grown more for its velvety leaves than the flowers. It is drought tolerant once it's established. Be careful not to overwater.

Homestead Purple Verbena

Common name:Homestead Purple Verbena
Botanical name:Verbena 'Homestead Purple'

This perennial will reach 1'-2' tall and has small green leaves with purple flowers that bloom during warm weather. It is frost tender but will come back when the ground warms up. Feed with an all-purpose fertilizer once a month during the growing season. Verbena works as a great groundcover. Pinch ends to promote dense growth.

Century Plant

Common name:Century Plant
Botanical name:Agave americana

This agave is fast growing to about 6-10' tall and 8-13' wide. Wide, gray leaves have stiff terminal spines and recurved teeth on margins. It prefers full sun and well-drained situations. It is prone to agave snout weevil which will eat the roots and leaves. After blooming, which could take several years, it will die but will send up new pups from around the base. Some people are allergic to the sap. Removal is difficult if unwanted. Water once a month during the summer.

Beavertail Prickly Pear Cactus

Common name:Beavertail Prickly Pear Cactus
Botanical name:Opuntia basilaris

This cactus grows 1'- 2' tall and 4' wide. Pads, which resemble Beaver tails, are blue-gray, sometimes with a bit of purple. New pads form on lower areas of the plant. Flowers are intensely rose purple from spring to early summer. This plant prefers full sun with fast draining soil. It is drought tolerant once it's established.

Peruvian-Apple Cactus, Pitaya

Common name:Peruvian-Apple Cactus, Pitaya
Botanical name:Cereus peruvianus

This cactus can grow 25' high and produces large, white blooms. It does best in full sun and dry soil.

Designer: Amy Bartell

Cacti and Kitty

Photographer: GardenSoft

Soils and Compost:

Practice grass-cycling by leaving short grass clippings on lawns after mowing, so that nutrients and organic matter are returned to the soil.

Water Saving Tip:

Change spray sprinklers to low-flow bubbler or drip systems. Shrubs and trees are ideal candidates for this type of irrigation because the water is applied directly to the root zones.

Integrated Pest Management:

Remove irrigation water and fertilizer from areas where you don't want weeds to grow.