Low Water Use Landscaping - VINES
Lilac Vine
One of the best things a person can do with one’s Tucson Real Estate is to landscape with low water use plants. Not only will this improve the property and help keep the water bill low, it will also help protect our most precious natural resource, WATER.
One of my favorite things to plant that helps to make a nice green background on my fence is vines. There are not as many low water use vines as other plants but there are a few out there that I really like. Whenever I look for plants for my yard, there are a few criteria besides the low water usage that I want. These criteria include low litter, few or no thorns, usually able to live in direct sunlight, moderate to fast growing, and evergreen or semi-evergreen. Here are some of my favorites:
- Grape Ivy (Cissus Trifoliata) is a moderate growing, low water use and low litter vine native to the southwest US and Mexico. It is hardy to 20 degrees and can tolerate full sun to shade. This semi-evergreen vine can provide an interesting effect if allowed to climb in trees.
- Lilac Vine (Hardenbergia Violacea) is a fast growing, low water use and low litter vine that is native to Australia. It is hardy to 20 degrees and can tolerate full sun to partial sun. This evergreen vine has purple clusters of flowers that bloom from winter to spring and needs well-drained soil.
- Yellow Orchid Vine (Mascagnia Macroptera) is a moderate growing, low water use vine that has seasonal litter and is native to Mexico. Recently reclassified as Callaeum Macropterum this vine is hardy to 22 degrees and can tolerate full sun. It is semi-evergreen and has yellow clusters of flowers in late spring to early summer. If you prefer purple flowers try Mascagnia Lilacina.
- Baja Passion Vine (Passiflora Foetida v. Longipedunculata) is a moderate growing, low water use and low litter vine that is native to Baja California. The Baja Passion Vine likes full sun, it is hardy to 25 degrees, semi-evergreen and has white and purple flowers in the summer that attract Gulf Fritillary Butterflies. The flowers on this vine are some of the most interesting you will ever see.
- Pink Trumpet Vine (Podranea Ricasoliana) is a moderate growing, low water use and semi-evergreen vine that is native to South Africa and has seasonal litter. It is hardy to 25 degrees, can tolerate full sun to partial shade and has showy pink clusters of flowers in the late summer to fall.
These are five of my favorite low water use vines that can add beauty and value to your Tucson Real Estate with minimal additional water costs.