Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Desert Broom
Desert Broom is a fast, bright green native shrub with upright broom-like stems that stay green through the year. It grows wild across the Sonoran Desert and gets by on very little water once it is rooted. In fall its small flowers draw crowds of butterflies and other insects, which stretches a butterfly garden into the cooler months. It suits full sun, poor soil and dry corners where little else wants to grow.
Best for: fast green backdrops in full sun, fall butterfly gardens, and dry, rocky or poor-soil corners that get little water.
It grows fast to about 3 to 10 feet tall and 4 to 7 feet wide. The upright green stems give a back fence or slope color all year on very little water.
It flowers in fall, when many other plants are finished, and the flowers draw crowds of butterflies and other insects. That stretches a butterfly garden later into the year.
It grows in poor, sandy or rocky desert soil in full sun. Once rooted it lives on rain, so it suits dry corners of the yard.
Female plants release clouds of white seed fluff in fall, and the seeds sprout in bare ground nearby. Some HOAs and communities do not allow it, so check first.
- Group planting6 ft apart
- Planted with more room8 ft apart
Water a new plant every few days at first, then stretch the time between soaks over the first two months. Keep it watered through its first summer.
Once rooted it lives on rain and needs little or no extra water. Its small leaves drop in dry spells, which is normal.
It takes heavy pruning well. Trim it in fall to shape it and refresh its look.
Female plants drop wind-blown seed in fall, and seedlings come up in spring in bare ground. Male plants do not set seed.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does desert broom get?
It usually grows about 3 to 10 feet tall and 4 to 7 feet wide. Pruning keeps it smaller if you want a lower shrub.
How fast does desert broom grow?
It grows fast, and it is one of the first plants to fill in open, disturbed ground in the desert.
How much water does desert broom need?
It needs very little water. Give a new plant regular water through its first summer, then it gets by on rain and needs little or no extra water.
Is desert broom evergreen?
Yes, the stems stay bright green all year. Its tiny leaves drop in dry spells, but the green stems keep it looking green.
Does desert broom make white fluff?
Only female plants make the masses of white, wind-blown seed fluff in fall, and male plants do not. Male plants are the choice if you want to avoid seedlings.
Does desert broom attract butterflies?
Yes. Its fall flowers draw crowds of butterflies and other insects, so it extends a butterfly garden into the fall.
Can desert broom spread in my yard?
Yes, female plants can seed into bare ground nearby, and the seedlings come up in spring. Male plants do not set seed.
Are there city rules for desert broom in the Valley?
Scottsdale lists it as an invasive plant in its preserve and asks residents to remove invasive plants from their property. It is also left off Scottsdale's native plant list for desert areas. Fountain Hills includes it on its town plant list. HOA lists vary, so confirm with your HOA.
How do I prune desert broom?
It takes pruning of any amount. Trim it in fall to shape it and refresh its look, or cut it lower to keep it compact.
How cold hardy is desert broom?
It is rated hardy to somewhere between 10°F and 15°F, which is colder than a normal Valley winter night.
Is desert broom native to Arizona?
Yes. It grows wild in washes, roadsides and open ground in Arizona, California and northwest Mexico, from about 1,000 to 5,000 feet.
Desert Broom for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Desert Broom is a tough Sonoran Desert native that grows fast, stays green and lives on very little water. Its fall flowers are a magnet for butterflies. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard, from size and water to male and female plants, pruning, cold and local rules.
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Desert broom in Phoenix
Desert broom is a fast native shrub with green stems all year. It grows in full sun and poor soil and needs little water once rooted.
Male vs female desert broom
Desert broom plants are either male or female. Only females make the white seed fluff in fall, so male plants are grown to avoid seedlings.
Desert broom for butterflies
Desert broom flowers in fall and draws crowds of butterflies and other insects. It keeps a butterfly garden busy after summer bloomers finish.
How big does desert broom get?
It usually grows about 3 to 10 feet tall and 4 to 7 feet wide. It takes pruning well, so you can keep it lower.
Watering desert broom
Water a new plant through its first summer. After that it lives on rain and needs little or no extra water.
Is desert broom allowed in Scottsdale?
Scottsdale lists desert broom as an invasive plant in its preserve and asks residents to remove invasive plants from their property. Check your HOA list before you plant.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.