Colorful, blooming shrubs popping up across valley

While driving around the valley last week, I decided to select some bushes that were in living color on my "Hit Parade" list. Repeated blooming through the heat and into the fall was one of my criteria and they must be water-efficient. Here are some that caught my attention -- and if you are considering changes in your landscape, think about these beauties.

Green cloud: This particular Texas ranger is the bright rose-pink-colored shrub you are now seeing across the valley. Back in the 1980s, Texas A&M University introduced it to the world and it is now the most dominant Texas ranger -- sometimes called sage.

It has become the most widely used selection in Las Vegas. When properly pruned (note the word "properly"), it covers itself with large rose-pink blossoms. It is a frequent summer bloomer that is determined by relative humidity. It grows fast -- up to 6 feet tall -- and requires relatively little care; that is, until maintenance companies take their pruning shears to it.

All too often we jam desert natives into spaces that are far too small and this starts the vicious severe pruning or "poodling" cycle, which creates unnecessary maintenance and limits flower production.

As you gaze at poodled green clouds now in bloom, realize you are seeing only a fraction of their potential blooms and it is not the plant's fault. Texas rangers produce blooms on last year's growth. Here is the problem: Homeowners turn maintenance loose with their pruning shears and there goes the potential flowering wood. A direct result of this is we get to enjoy only a single layer of blooms. Once in a while, you will see some rangers properly pruned with blooms all along the wood. If it is left to grow, it will bring on an even more stunning show through the season.

Shearing these desert wonders is a travesty and here is how to cure the habit: When your gardeners come again, lock their pruning shears in your garage until they finish your yard. Yes, the shrubs will take longer to prune but when done right it is a sight to behold.

Lynn's legacy: It is another new Texas A&M selection of Texas ranger. When comparing it with other selections, including green cloud, this clone blooms even more during the summer because it is not as dependent on relative humidity to come into flower. It grows slowly to 5 feet tall with a dense, rounded form so there will be no need to shear it. Its rich, green foliage is a wonderful backdrop for its lavender flowers. As it becomes increasingly popular, it will cause second and third looks by your viewing audience.

Yellow bells (Tecoma stans): It is a shrub that will knock your eyes out when you first come upon it. I came upon yellow bells by surprise during my drive and I just had to stop and absorb its beauty.

Yellow bells also come from Texas A&M as part of its Superstar program. This program introduces and markets plants noted for their reliability and performance. When purchasing one of these plants, a certain portion of the money goes to further the research in finding more water-conserving plants. Yellow bells came from a San Antonio garden and made it into the Superstar circle. It has early blooming habits that continue until fall and is noted for its extreme heat tolerance.

Yellow bells feature large clusters of clear yellow trumpet-shaped flowers produced on a compact shrub with dark green foliage that serves as a backdrop to show off the flowers even more. The trumpetlike flowers provide a feast of choice nectar for hummingbirds and bees. Carpenter bees (big black bees) don't bother to go down the flower's throat; they drill holes at the flower base and collect nectar. It also makes an excellent container plant.

Orange jubilee: It also is part of the Tecoma series and is quickly becoming a favorite across the valley. Its lush green foliage, showy tubular orange flowers and fast growth rate combine to make it ideal for many landscape uses. You can plant it in full or reflected sun, grow it in groups or against large blank walls, which really show off its dazzling display of flowers. Its lush appearance also makes it a natural for the mini-oasis of water-smart landscapes. And of course, let's not forget our feathered friends and bees.

Oleander: Right now, oleanders are out in all their glory and certainly make my top list. The oleander is a love-it or hate-it plant, and I happen to love it. Yes, it is poisonous, but so are other plants in your landscape. It comes in all colors, sizes and shapes from knee-high to 20 feet tall with flowers in single or double forms showing off until frost. The single-petal blooms shed so the plant always looks fresh while double-petal blooms hang on to become unsightly.

Oleanders do need periodic pruning, but do it the right way when you do. It's easy to prune the small branches at the plant's base and up in the bush. But herein lies the mistake we so often make of leaving old canes and removing new ones. If you prune this way, then you in essence are producing a bouquet of flowers on top of a jungle of canes.

Start pruning by looking into the plant and removing those large, old, ugly canes. This allows light to reach inside the bush to stimulate new growth. If done right, you create a new bush that hides those inside branches and you end up with a complete bouquet of blooms.

The real landscape merit of the oleander is using it as a wind barrier or a hedge, but keep it open for natural plant development

Chase or vitex tree: Right now, this bush or tree is out in full bloom and is very striking. The blue to lavender, four- to 10-inch-long flower clusters really like to show off, but it takes hot weather to bring on the show. As the season progresses, blooms become sporadic until fall. Tiny pepperlike seedpods bloom and people mistake them for bugs hanging on the twigs.

With minimum irrigation it becomes a shrub, but with moderate amounts of water it grows quickly. The foliage is gray-green to dull-green, with lower surface coloring of pale-green to almost white. It has a distinct spicy odor when crushed.

New gold lantana: It is a vigorous, energetic, heavy flower producer that doesn't produce seeds. When in bloom, this lantana is almost totally covered with clusters of tiny, tubular flowers, with some greenery as a background to show off the flowers even more.

There are other lantanas that come in many pastel-yellow, peach, and pink flowers that spill out from the foliage.

I also love trailing lantana. It works throughout the year producing masses of deep purple blooms. During the winter, flower production cuts back but the cold weather turns foliage purple to almost hide flowers that are still producing. It is a quick spreader, which is something we want.

Linn Mills writes a garden column each Thursday. You can reach him at lmills@reviewjournal.com or at the Gardens at the Springs Preserve, 822-8325.