Common name:Mexican Palo Verde, Jerusalem Thorn
Botanical name:Parkinsonia aculeata

The Mexican Palo Verde has prickly stems. This tree is very fast growing with sparse foliage and very long narrow leaves. Yellow flowers with orange red throats bloom sporadically. It is very messy, thorny, weedy and short-lived. This tree is usually found on limestone soils in areas with moisture but is strongly drought tolerant. It can withstand saline conditions. It can be cold or drought deciduous. It is beautiful in form being light and airy looking, with green bark.

Common name:Joyce Coulter California Lilac
Botanical name:Ceanothus 'Joyce Coulter'

This cultivar has a generous amount of medium blue, tiny flowers in 3"-5" clusters. It can (with good drainage) tolerate garden moisture and heavy soils. It attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. -Cornflower Farms

Common name:Freeway Daisy
Botanical name:Osteospermum fruticosum

This ground cover will grow 1'-3' tall and has medium-sized, green leaves with purple or blue flowers that can bloom all year.

Common name:Spoon-Yucca
Botanical name:Dasylirion wheeleri

Spoon-Yucca requires little maintenance, as it tolerates drought, reflected heat and poor soils. It develops a short, thick trunk while reaching 6' tall and wide. Leaves are linear gray-green to 3' long and armed. During late spring and summer, erect stems of white creamy flowers are visible. It is a long lived shrub and slow-growing. It needs a well-drained site; it is cold and drought hardy.