• Once established, most plants listed below will need soaking once a month. More frequent watering will produce more blooms, however some are intolerant of frequent watering.
• Most plants listed below need well-drained soil.
• Plants that bloom spring through fall sometimes suspend blooming in the heat of July and start up again in late August unless given part shade and sufficient water.
• Most prefer full sun; some require it to avoid fungal diseases.
• Sow seed for annuals after April 25 when frost is unlikely.

Acacia angustissima: Fern Acacia
This Oracle native grows to 3' high in warm weather, and then dies to ground with first hard frost. Abundant, dark-green, tiny leaves on thornless stems give fern-like appearance. White puff-ball flowers, 0.5" wide, bloom May to September. Attracts butterflies and other insects. Food plant for Acacia Skipper butterfly larvae. Brown seed pods to 3" long. Roots reduce soil erosion. Perennial.

Agastache rupestris: Licorice Mint / Sunset Hyssop
This Arizona native grows 2-3' high. Gray-green, thread-like leaves have licorice aroma. Orange-purple, tubular flowers bloom mid-summer to fall and attract hummingbirds. Rabbit and deer resistant. Dies to ground with first hard frost. Needs well-drained soil. Perennial.

Baileya multiradiata: Desert Marigold
This Oracle native grows to 1' high and wide. Yellow flowers 2" wide. Very xeric, dislikes frequent water. Reseeds freely. Rabbit resistant.
Blooms March to October at intervals. Annual.

Caesalpinia gilliesii: Yellow Bird of Paradise

Calylophus hartwegii: Fendler's Sundrops
Grows to 1' high and 2' wide. A fast grower spreading by rhizomes and useful as a ground cover. Yellow flowers 2.5" wide have a one-day life span. Cut back in early spring if frost damage or too woody. Susceptible to flea beetles.
Blooms April to September at intervals. Perennial. Full sun to part shade.

Castilleja: Paintbrush (various species)
Grows to 1' high. Flowers, red, orange, yellow or white to 1.25" long in spikes. Castilleja exserta, Owl's Clover, is purple. Some species (C. integra, for example) are rabbit resistant. Semi-parasitic, so needs to be sown with a companion such as Blue Grama grass.
Absorbs selenium from soil. While flower is edible, before eating check for selenium levels in soil that can make plant poisonous.
Blooms spring and/or fall depending on species. Annual.

Chrysactinia mexicana: Damianita Daisy

Coreopsis tinctoria: Calliopsis
Grows to 3' high and 1' wide. Yellow flowers 1.25" wide with a brown center. Javelina resistant.
Blooms June to September. Annual.

Datura wrightii: Sacred Datura / Thornapple
An Oracle native that grows to 2' high and 4' wide. White flowers tinged with lavender 6" long. Entire plant very poisonous. Deer, rabbit and javelina resistant. Native host plant to caterpillar of Tomato Hornworm moth: Manduca sexta. Possibly should not be grown if tomatoes are on the same property.
Blooms May to October. Perennial.

Dichelostemma capitatum (D. pulchellum): Blue Dicks
A lily native to Oracle that grows to 2.5', but usually 6" to 12" high from a corm (solid bulb without layers).
Blue to pink flowers 1" wide. Blooms several years after sowing seed, try to obtain corms. Dormant in drought years.
Blooms March to May. Perennial.

Epilobium canum (Zauschneria): Hummingbird Trumpet
Grows to 2' high and wide. Leaves grayish-green, arching or upright stems. Reddish-orange flowers 1.5" long in clusters. Attracts hummingbirds. Reseeds freely. Invasive rhizomes make this a good erosion control plant on slopes. Cut back to 4" high in winter.
Blooms June to October. Perennial. Full sun.

Erigeron divergens: Fleabane
This overlooked Oracle native grows 6" to 18" high. One-inch wide flowers have narrow white rays and yellow centers. Flowers fold up in late afternoon revealing pale purple undersides and resemble round lavender balls. One plant may have more than a dozen blooms at one time. Long, narrow, dull green leaves and stems. Must have excellent drainage. Prefers very dry, poor, rocky soil. Rabbit-resistant, but young rabbits will try anything. Needs only rainfall.
Blooms longer than any other flower, from March to November. Annual to biennial.

Eriogonum umbellatum: Sulfur Buckwheat
Grows 6" to 18" high and 3' wide. Yellow, orange or white tiny flowers in 1" wide clusters. Many wild varieties, most colored white, and much color variability within variety. Oval green leaves are gray underneath. Must have excellent drainage. Prefers very dry, poor, rocky soil. Best on southern slopes. Rabbit-resistant. Attracts butterflies. Water weekly to establish. Reduce to monthly when new growth appears.
Blooms May to August. Perennial.

Eschscholzia californica: California Poppy
Grows to 8" high. Orange-yellow flowers 2" wide. Does not transplant. Deer and rabbit resistant.
Blooms June to July. Deadheading extends blooms. Annual.

Evolvulus arizonicus: Arizona Blue Eyes
An Oracle native that grows to 1' high. Blue flowers 0.75" wide.
Blooms April to October. Perennial.

Fallugia paradoxa: Apache Plume

Gaillardia aristata: Firewheel
Grows to 2' high and wide. Red flowers 4" wide with yellow tips. Deadhead to prolong blooming. Deer, rabbit and javelina resistant.
Blooms June to October. Perennial.

Glandularia bipinnatifida: Dakota Verbena
An Oracle native that grows to 1' high and wide. Magenta or pink tubular flowers fading to blue with five flaring lobes, each with a notch, to 0.5" wide, in a roundish cluster. Attracts butterflies and other insects. Does not bloom in dry years without supplemental water.
Blooms March to November. Self-seeds freely. Perennial. Place in full sun to avoid mildew.

Ipomoea coccinea: Scarlet Creeper
This Oracle native is a twining vine to 12' long. Red to red-orange trumpet-shaped flowers 0.5" wide and 1" long. All parts of plant are poisonous. Nectar attracts Cloudless Sulphur butterflies and hawkmoths. Ideal next to fences, arbors and large trees. Seeds tend to sprout only in years with heavy monsoon rains. Reseeds freely. Collect small, round seed pods from plant when dry. Sow in ground in spring.
Blooms repeatedly mid-summer to early fall. Annual. Full sun or part shade.

Ipomoea leptophylla: Bush Morning Glory
Grows to 3' high and 4' wide. Magenta flowers 1.5" wide.
Blooms June to October. Cut to ground when dormant. Perennial. Deeply rooted.

Justica californica: Chuparosa
Grows to 4' high and as wide. Red, tubular flowers attract hummingbirds. Grayish-green branches with few leaves. Dies to ground in winter and comes back quickly in early spring. Plant in well-drained soil.
Blooms spring and fall. Perennial. Full sun or afternoon shade.

Kallstroemia grandiflora: Arizona Caltrop / Arizona Poppy
An Oracle native with prostrate stems that grow to 3' long. Yellow-orange five-petaled flowers with red centers to 2" wide in bowl shape. Grow from seed found in wild; plant in spring.
Blooms July to October. Annual.

Lupinus sparsiflorus: Desert Lupine
This Oracle native grows to 1.5' high. Blue and white pea-like flowers in spikes. Food plant for Painted Lady butterfly. All parts are poisonous. Needs well-drained soil. Deer and rabbit resistant.
Blooms April to June. Annual. Full sun.

Lupinus succulentus: Arroyo / Hollow-leaf Lupine
Grows to 2' high and 1' wide. Blue and white fragrant flowers in spikes. The white part turns purple after pollination. Food plant for Painted Lady butterfly. All parts are poisonous. Needs well-drained soil. Deer and rabbit resistant.
Blooms April to June. Annual. Full sun to avoid fungal diseases.

Melampodium leucanthum: Black Foot Daisy
Grows to 1' high and 1.5' wide. White flowers 1.5" wide with yellow eyes. Brittle stems; keep away from walkways. Deer and rabbit resistant. Deep taproot makes it difficult to transplant once established.
Blooms March to October. Honey-scented. Perennial.

Mirabilis jalapa: Four O'Clock
Grows to 3' high and as wide. Flowers 2" long in red, pink, yellow or white.
Blooms in summer, fragrant flowers open late afternoon. Self-seeds freely. Seeds and other parts of plant poisonous. Dies to the ground each winter. Perennial. Full sun or part shade.

Oenothera missouriensis: Missouri Evening Primrose
Grows to 6" high and 2' wide. Yellow, fragrant flowers 4" wide. Deadhead to prolong blooming. Divide clumps every three years to encourage flowering. Deer resistant. Blooms second year from seed after tuber formation.
Blooms daytime June to September. Perennial.

Oenothera speciosa: Mexican Evening Primrose
Grows to 1' high and 3' wide or more, spreading by rhizomes to form rosettes of medium-green leaves. White to pink 2" wide fragrant flowers.
A good ground cover for a dry area, but can be invasive. Dormant in hottest part of summer. Dies to ground in winter. Susceptible to flea beetles.
Blooms in daytime April to October. Perennial. Full sun to part shade.

Penstemon barbatus: Scarlet Penstemon
An Oracle native that grows to 4' high and 1' wide. Red tubular flowers 1.5" long arrayed on spikes. Removing spent blossoms after spring bloom will allow summer and fall flowering.
Blooms May to September. Attracts hummingbirds. Deer and rabbit resistant. Perennial.

Penstemon pinifolius: Pineleaf Penstemon
Grows to 1.5' high and 2' wide. Narrow red-orange flowers and pine-needle leaves.
Blooms April to September. Attracts hummingbirds. Deer and rabbit resistant. Perennial.

Penstemon pseudospectabilis: Canyon Penstemon
An Oracle native that grows to 2' high and wide. Magenta flowers 0.75" long in clusters. Unusual boat-shaped leaf surrounds stem.
Blooms March to May. Attracts hummingbirds. Deer and rabbit resistant. Perennial.

Phacelia campanularia: Desert Bluebell
Grows to 1' high and wide. Deep blue flowers 1" long. Does not transplant.
Blooms March to June. Annual.

Psilostrophe cooperi: Paper Flower
Grows to 1.5' high and 2' wide. Yellow flowers 1" wide turn papery with age and remain on plant. Slender, stem-like, grayish-green leaves. Deer resistant.
Blooms April to October. Perennial.

Scrophularia macrantha: Redbirds in a Tree
Grows to 3' high, 1.5' wide. Lance-shaped dark green leaves. Red puffy flowers clustered in spires to 0.75" long. Stalks tend to lean; grow with other tall perennials to provide support.
Blooms mid-summer to frost. Perennial. Best in part shade.

Sphaeralcea ambigua: Desert Globe Mallow
An Oracle native that grows to 3' high, 2' wide. Orange flowers to 1.5" wide. Food plant for larvae of Gray Hairstreak and White Checkered Skipper butterflies.
Blooms March to October with largest quantity of flowers in October. Perennial.

Tecoma stans angustata: Yellow Bells
Grows to 6' high and 3' wide. Yellow bell-like flowers 2" long. Orange-colored varieties are available at local nurseries. Dies to the ground at the first hard freeze and comes back the next spring.
Blooms May to October. Attracts hummingbirds. Perennial.

Tetraneuris acaulis: Angelita Daisy
Rapid grower to 1' high and wide. Yellow flowers 1.5" wide. Deadheading extends blooming period. Fragrant leaves and flowers? Relatively pest free.
Blooms April to September. Perennial.

Verbesina encelioides: Golden Crownbeard
This Oracle native grows to 3' high. Yellow flowers 2" wide with puffed yellow-orange centers. Tips of rays have two notches creating three lobes.
Blooms April to December. Annual.

Zinnia grandiflora: Prairie Zinnia
Grows 1' high and wide. Yellow flower 1.5" wide with orange eye. Attracts butterflies. Reseeds freely. Deer, rabbit and javelina resistant.
Blooms May to October. Annual.