Written by Charlotte West
In no way do I condone removing desert plants or cacti from our beautiful Utah lands. They are what sprinkle our precious desert with its rich colors. But there are ways that you can enjoy these plants right in your own yard.
Take the globe mallow, for example. I am sure you have seen this beautiful, almost whimsical plant possibly on a hike or nature walk with your children. Many only see the color orange, but the globe mallow also comes in pink, red, violet, and many other colors.
Digging this plant up from a friend’s back yard is not the way to get this plant to grow, as the mallow has a mother plant that may run for many miles away. Therefore, it is best to leave this plant up to an expert and visit you local nursery to purchase this plant.
Or when it goes to seed, you can gather them and sprinkle among your garden. But be aware that they become airborne, and you cannot control where they land. So if you have a specific location you would like the globe mallow to be, visit a nursery.
Cattails often grow along roadside areas or any lower slope that usually receives run off water. I found mine by simply asking a stranger if I could gather some from their yard. After transplanting, the plant goes into shock or even dies back. It will usually come back the next year.
Still take care of the plant in this state, as it’s in the “taking root” phase. It is also best to gather in the spring when the shoots are young, but you may want to take someone with you that has experience as cattails are often confused with poisonous yellow iris. You must be able to recognize the difference.
Personally, I find Indian feather grass to be a mystery grass, appearing all of a sudden in your yard. It is easily airborne; just the slightest of wind carries the seed from far away. Its purple iridescent shine as it blows in the wind acts as a perfect addition to your desert garden. If it sprouts up in an unwanted place, just wait until it goes to seed and sprinkle the seed randomly in your garden and wait until next year to see what happens.
While rabbit brush really gets my allergies acting up, it is still a beautiful plant in its own right. I am sure you have seen it growing abundantly throughout the desert landscape. It is often called the rubber brush, as Native Americans once used the bark as chewing gum. It does great in even the driest of conditions.
Like the globe mallow, rabbit brush has a mother plant and is difficult to transplant. The best way is to either obtain one from you local nursery or spread by seed.
Moving on to cacti, the simplest of all to transplant. You can either dig up a whole plant from someone you know who possibly already has an abundance, seeing as they grow rapidly and can get out of hand. However, the method I prefer is to cut off a section of the existing cacti at any angle.
There are a few essentials you will need:
- – a bucket in which to carry your cuttings
- – tongs, so as not to prick yourself
- – tick gloves
- – a sharp knife
If you choose the cutting method, let the cuttings scab over for few days before you plant to help avoid rot. Once they have scabbed over, plant them very shallowly (this is the same as if you have dug up the plant as well). Due to the wind in southern Utah, you might want to prop up the cacti with a few large rocks at the base to keep it from toppling over.
You just need to give the plants a small drink of water and leave alone until new growth appears. Then give them another drink. Now you are on the road to success with cacti. And do not fret if they do topple over, because wherever a cactus touches the ground, it shoots out roots, and you will truly obtain the desert wild look. The rockier the soil, the better, and very rarely give them a drink of water.
Finally, do not forget some amazing Utah wildflower seeds which can be ordered at your local nursery or even online. These include blanket flowers, Mexican hats, the Utah daisy, and evening primrose.
If you put some of these plants in your desert garden, you will be the envy of your neighbors.
