Dear Craig:
I hope this isn't a stupid question to ask. I'm new to the southwest and really miss the gardens I had back home in Illinois. The plants here seem so dry looking and the foliage seems so tiny. I'm used to seeing big trees and lush shrubs and flowers. Are there any plants that can survive here with foliage similar to the types I've had back home?

Dot the Chicago Transplant

Dear Dot:
The question you ask is very common. I have met more people from Illinois, Michigan, and

Indiana here than from any other part of the country. And yes, they often pose a similar question to me. While our alien plant types intrigue many of them, they still miss that feeling of their hometown. One woman went so far as to paint her fence green to give the allusion of a greener back yard.

The answer is yes and no. There are a few plants that grow here and in other parts of the country. Annual flowers like snapdragons, petunias, pansies and marigolds are common throughout the U.S. The primary difference is that winter annuals here are summer annuals in the Midwest.

In the shrub and tree category, there are several types that grow very well here and in the Midwest. They require some soil amendments, fertilization and watering similar to the needs of palm trees. These plants will thrive well:

Crossover Plant Palate
Trees
Weeping Willow
Stone Fruit Trees
Chinese Elm
Robinia
Honey Locust
Ash
Albizia

Shrubs
Arborvitae
Boxwood
Winter Creeper
Juniper
Butterfly Bush
Iris Both Flag and Bearded
Daylily
Wisteria
Lavender
Crape Myrtle
Vinca Major
Hahns Ivy
Hosta

Japanese Maple, Hydrangea, Azalea, and Camelia can be grown in shaded areas where they are protected from hot dry winds or by walls and other screening methods. I have successfully grown (in the right microclimate): Liquid Amber, Euonymus, Crabapple, Eastern Redbud, Japanese maple, and Catalpa. In fact some of these are currently growing in my nursery. Although these plants do well here in the southwest, they can be hard to find since the introduction of HOA's ( Homeowner Association guidelines) which limit the type of plants allowed in sub
divisions. The increasing number of HOAs has caused local growers to eliminate many of these from their inventory.

I would recommend using some of the plants of the Midwest palate with the addition of look alike or similar plantings. Here are some great choices to help create a beautiful Midwest style garden.

- Viburnium tinus This showy, medium sized shrub is called a spring bouquet with its large clusters of white flowers contrasting its dark thick foliage.
- Sky Flower ( Duranta) Can replace the Forsythia in size, shape, and color.
- Vitex This large, deciduous shrub, with purple lilac flowers, is a great choice to replace the common lilac found in the Midwest.
- Modesto, Raywood, or Arizona Ash These tall deciduous trees can reach heights up to 50" and are great substitute for all other ash varieties
- India Hawthorn This shrub has a dark, leathery leaf with a bountiful spring display of color ranging from white to deep pink.
- Elderica Pine and Canary Island Pine These drought tolerant pines are perfect for Southwest conditions.
- African Sumac This evergreen, mid sized tree can mimic the riparian trees near waterways and streams of the Midwest. It can also be used to provide great screening.
- Mock Orange These evergreen shrubs are available as a standard green or variegated type along with a dwarf green mounding variety.
- Japanese Privet This evergreen shrub can be trimmed into hedges and screening rows.
- Texas Privet This evergreen shrub can be hedged and is more commonly used for topiaries.
- Halls Honeysuckle This fragrant, fast growing vine will cover trellises rapidly.
- Ilex Spp. (Holly) The Buford variety is a great choice for the winter red berries similar to Midwestern varieties.
- Chitalpa A hybrid cross from the Catalpa and Desert Willow will produce abundant color with a mid size leaf.
- Sycamore This large tree grows up to 50 feet and has a large, maple looking leaf design.
- Chinese Pistasche This medium sized tree is the only tree in the southwest to produce true fall foliage color. Its leaves turn from green to deep red or purple at the first sign of cool weather.

Some other shrubs to consider are Nandina Domestica, Liriope, Heritage Oak, Pomegranate, Purple Leaf Plum, and China berry Trees. I believe you will find that choosing these varieties will give you a small taste of the Midwest here in the Southwest. Many of these are available at my nursery if you would like to see them up close and personal.

Craig Allison is a registered landscape architect with over 30 years of landscaping and nursery experience. He previously held positions as a Faculty Associate at Arizona State University's School of Landscape Architecture and taught design at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix. Craig has over 50 published articles and has made appearances on ABC 15's "Sonoran Living Live" and does weekly appearances on "Your Life A to Z" on KTVK Ch 3. He currently owns and manages Carefree Gardens, a retail nursery located at the corner of Carefree Highway and Central Avenue in Desert Hills, and designs for New Garden Design and Landscape, Inc.

If you have landscape or garden questions you would like answered, e mail your questions to AskCraig@carefreegardens.net or fax your questions to Carefree Gardens "Ask Craig" at (623) 742 7216. Past articles can be found at www.thecarefreegardener.tv