Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Gopher Plant
Gopher plant brings blue-green color and bright chartreuse spring flowers to a Valley yard on little water. Its upright stems stay low, about 1 to 3 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide. It takes hard cold, down to about 0 to 10°F. Plant it in groups by boulders, along a border, on a slope or in a patio pot.
Best for: groups of three by a boulder, low borders and slopes, and patio pots, in sun or part shade.
Plant three together next to a boulder in full sun, about 3 to 4 feet apart. Each plant grows about 1 to 3 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet across.
It works as a low border, a ground cover on a berm or slope, or a background planting. Once it is growing it needs little water.
It grows well in a patio container as a specimen plant. Use a fast-draining potting mix and a pot with a drainage hole.
Soggy soil can rot it, so let the soil dry between waterings. Each stem dies back after it flowers, so plan on cutting old stems every late spring. The milky sap irritates skin.
- Group planting3 ft apart
- Open planting4 ft apart
Once rooted, water every 2 to 4 weeks in summer and little or none in winter. Let the soil dry between waterings, since soggy soil can rot it.
In late spring, once the flowers dry, cut the old flowered stems down to the base. New stems grow in to replace them.
The milky sap irritates skin and eyes. Wear gloves when you cut it, and keep the sap away from your eyes.
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 gopher plant get?
It can grow about 1 to 3 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide. Many plants settle around 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide.
How far apart should I plant gopher plant?
Plant them about 3 to 4 feet apart, center to center. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your bed.
When does gopher plant bloom?
It blooms in late winter and early spring, when chartreuse flower clusters top each stem and then fade to tan and reddish brown. Cut the old flowered stems to the base once they dry in late spring.
Why are the stems dying after it blooms?
This is normal for gopher plant. Each stem dies back after it flowers and sets seed, and new stems grow from the base, so cut the old ones off in late spring.
How do I prune gopher plant?
In late spring, once the flowers dry, cut the old flowered stems down to the base. Wear gloves, since the sap irritates skin.
Does gopher plant keep gophers away?
That is where the name comes from. The milky sap in its roots is said to repel gophers, but no one has proven it, so do not count on it for gopher control.
Is the sap harmful?
The milky sap irritates skin and eyes and is toxic if eaten. On skin it usually causes a mild rash. Wear gloves and keep the sap away from your eyes. Its pollen can also bother people with allergies.
Is gopher plant toxic to dogs and cats?
Yes. It is toxic if eaten, and the sap can blister the lips and mouth. Keep pets from chewing it.
How cold can gopher plant take?
It is very cold hardy, to about 0 to 10°F, and it handles summer heat in Tucson too. It needs no frost cover in the Valley.
Does gopher plant need full sun?
It grows in full sun to part shade, but full sun keeps it tight and rounded. Too much shade makes the stems stretch and turn leggy, so give it the sunniest spot you can.
How often should I water gopher plant?
Water it every 2 to 4 weeks in summer and little or not at all in winter. Let the soil dry between waterings, since soggy soil can rot it.
Will rabbits eat gopher plant?
Rabbits and javelinas usually leave it alone. It also drops seed, so a few seedlings can come up nearby.
Gopher Plant for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Gopher plant is a low, evergreen succulent shrub from the Mediterranean. Fleshy blue-green leaves line its upright stems, and chartreuse flower clusters top them in late winter and spring. Below are the questions people ask most about growing it in a Valley yard, from size and bloom to pruning, water, cold and pots.
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Gopher plant in Phoenix yards
Gopher plant is a low, evergreen succulent shrub from the Mediterranean. It has blue-green leaves and chartreuse flowers in late winter and spring. Valley homeowners use it by boulders, in borders, on slopes and in pots.
How big does gopher plant get?
It can grow about 1 to 3 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide. Many plants settle around 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide. It grows at a moderate pace, faster with some summer water.
When to prune gopher plant
Each stem dies back after it flowers and sets seed. In late spring, once the flowers dry, cut those stems to the base. New stems grow from the base. Wear gloves for the sap.
How cold hardy is gopher plant?
It is very cold hardy, to about 0 to 10°F, and handles both the cold and the summer heat in Tucson. It needs no frost cover in the Valley.
How often to water gopher plant in the Valley
Water every 2 to 4 weeks in summer and little or none in winter. Let the soil dry between waterings. Soggy soil can rot the roots.
Does gopher plant really repel gophers?
The name comes from the idea that the milky sap in its roots repels gophers, but no one has proven it. Rabbits and javelinas do usually leave it alone.
Gopher plant in sun or shade
It grows in full sun to part shade. Full sun keeps it tight and rounded. In too much shade the stems stretch and turn leggy.
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