Flowers That Thrive in AZ

Desert Four O'Clock

• Desert four o'clock (Mirabilis multiflora) is a night-blooming, herbaceous perennial that performs well in Arizona's dry, rocky soils. This drought-tolerant plant thrives in full sun and grows best in warm, dry, well-drained soil. The bushy plant flowers from April through September and produces clusters of large, fragrant, trumpet-shaped, magenta-colored, five-lobed blossoms. Flowers grow from 1 to 2 inches long. True to its name, desert four o'clock opens its blossoms in the late afternoon and closes them before dawn. Mirabilis multiflora attracts hummingbirds and butterflies as well as a variety of nocturnal insects and pollen-collecting bees.

Desert Evening Primrose

• Desert evening primrose (Oenothera deltoides) is a night-blooming, herbaceous annual that thrives in dry, open and sandy habitats. Desert evening primrose is indigenous to southwest North America and distributes itself across five states including Arizona. This low-growing plant enjoys basking in full sun. Desert evening primrose produces delicate, 3-inch wide, pure white blossoms that adopt a pinkish hue as they mature. Flowers are aromatic and look best in the late afternoon or early morning.

Arizona Poppy

• Arizona poppy (Kallstroemia grandiflora) is a desert wildflower native to the Grand Canyon State. Arizona poppy grows best in bright, open areas in sandy soils. This herbaceous annual has hairy branches and stems on which five to ten pairs of dark green oval-shaped leaflets grow. Flowers have five golden yellow petals and a brilliant orange center and spread over 2 inches in diameter. Raised, dark red to orange veins decorate the petals. Despite its common name, Arizona poppy belongs to the Magnoliophyta species of flowering plants.

Saguaro Blossom

• The night-blooming saguaro blossom sprouts from the largest cactus in the United States and is also the official Arizona state flower. Two-inch spines borne on vertical ribs protect the smooth, waxy, brownish green skin of saguaro cactus. Saguaro cactus flowers in May and June and produces creamy white flowers borne on the end of its thick branches. Flowers have a yellow center and reach about 3 inches in diameter. Saguaro cactus is native to the Yavapai, Mohave, Graham, Santa Cruz, Pine and Yuma Cos deserts in Arizona and lives for about 200 years.