Hot and/or Dry Species and Care Guides

[milehigh_7]

This thread is to be a one stop shop for species that thrive in hot and/or dry climates. My contributions to the thread will be things I have grown or am growing. The idea is for this to be a living thread where folks in climates where typical bonsai species don't do well can come to find things to try. I believe me I would love to do pines, spruce, and maples, but it's not gonna happen where we don't get winter and summers are 120+. That does not mean you can't do bonsai! So feel free to contribute and if you have additions or corrections to my guides that I am writing, DM me and I will make the edits. I am doing a lot of research so even if you want me to research a particular species let me know. For now the guides will be links to empty files but I am working on the data to put into them so be patient and if you have questions again DM. My experience is about 27 years in both in Phoenix and Las Vegas NV. Your milage may vary. Again, its a work in progress. I'm going to start with my recent purchases and work backwards to everything I've successfully grown over the years. There will be lots of unique natives that you don't see in bonsai but are worth exploring. We can also put tips and tricks here like shade structures, soils, irrigation systems, and anything else that contributes to allowing the art to thrive in hot and or dry places.

 

[milehigh_7]

First up on the hit parade is Aloysia gratissima Whitebrush, Bee-brush, White-brush, Common Bee-brush, Beebrush, Privet Lippia

Here's mine. My plan is to ground layer the entire thing at the largest part of the base then layer off the two upper sections and make this a twin trunk. This is a super cool species with tiny leaves.
Link to the care sheet: Aloysia gratissima care sheet

 

[milehigh_7]

Up next is Atriplex lentiformis (Big Saltbush, Quailbush, Saltbush, Coastal Quail Bush)
Link to the care sheet: Atriplex lentiformis

Here's mine again all these first ones I just picked up. The folks at the nursery said this one had likely been in the 1 gal can for 25+ years.

 

[milehigh_7]

Up next is Celtis ehrenbergiana (Desert Hackberry, Spiny Hackberry, Shiny Hackberry, Granjeno, Huasteco)
Link to the care sheet: Celtis ehrenbergiana

My new ones:

 

[milehigh_7]

Another recent purchase is Fallugia paradoxa (Apache Plume, Ponil)
Link to Link to the care sheet: Fallugia paradoxa

Here it is now:

 

[milehigh_7]

I'm actually super excited to have found this one! Guaiacum sanctum (Lignum Vitae, holywood)
Link to the care sheet: Guaiacum sanctum

So I was crawling through the nursery and looked a few rows over and saw these and thought oh cool some Texas Ebony. Then I got close and was like wait ovate leaves... What the heck is this??? It's a really cool and somewhat rare species apparently. Another like our Ironwood that does not float. Info that I've found says it's so hard you can't drive a nail into the wood.
Here they are right now... Still pretty small but super cool. I'll be trying to propagate this one..

 

[milehigh_7]

This one is pretty typical as a tropical but does surprisingly well in the desert. Malpighia emarginata 'Nana' (Malpighia glabra 'Nana', Malpighia punicifolia, Malpighia punicifolia 'Nana'Dwarf Acerola, Dwarf Barbados Cherry) It seems this is one of those trees that has had naming issues like the willow leaf ficus... However the correct name is emarginata...
Link to the care sheet: Malpighia emarginata 'Nana'

Here's my little fella...

 

[milehigh_7]

Yet another awesome find at the nursery! I had no idea what this was but I had to find out! I saw a tree with pinnate leaves but flowers sorta hawthorn like... I was like what the heck?? It's Osteomeles subrotunda (O. anthyllidifolia, Fern-leaf Box)
Link to the care sheet: Osteomeles subrotunda

Here's my little one...

 

[milehigh_7]

One more cool little guy tonight. Thymus capitatus (conehead thyme, Persian-hyssop and Spanish oregano)
Link to the care sheet: Thymus capitatus

My little one...