old world desert flowers in a new world desert garden

I find it hard to resist adding plants and flowers from the old world deserts of South Africa to my new world, Sonoran desert garden.

They don't require any more water and they add wonderful color to my garden during our winter dormant season.

This delicate little South African iris, Moraea polystachya, is one of my favorites.

It responds to our rains and reseeds itself just enough in the rocky, sandy soil near my home. In other locations, with soils high in organic matter and watered more often, this bulb takes over.

When including a non-native in my gardens and landscape I try to limit their impact on the environment by paying attention to the elements that will keep it in check.