Like many invasive plants, its
beauty is deceiving. Vinca is an aggressive groundcover with
trailing stems that root wherever they touch the soil. It also
resprouts from stem fragments, enabling it to spread rapidly
along creeks and moist drainages, where it competes for
resources and smothers native vegetation.
Goodding or desert
verbenaGlandularia gooddingii
A small herbaceous plant with
fragrant lavender flowers that bloom following the
rainy seasons. Short-lived yet fast growing,
Goodding verbena reseeds itself continually, and
attracts a variety of butterflies.
Summer Snow
Plumbago scandens
A sprawling shrub reaching 4
ft tall and wide. Delicate white flowers bloom from
spring to summer. During the fall and winter, the
deep green foliage becomes reddish-purple. Plumbago
leaves and roots are poisonous if ingested.
Desert four o’clockMirabilis multiflora
This round-shaped small shrub
(about 3 ft tall and wide) has marvelous
reddish-purple flowers that bloom late spring
through summer. Although the flowers fade by
mid-morning, the blue-green leathery oval leaves are
equally attractive.
