Dannette Hunnel
Look around our community and you’ll see silver grey bushes. They don’t stand out, but they are everywhere. It’s a quiet bush of sorts in that it’s not beautiful or brightly colored, just plain and simple. But look again and you’ll see that it can be quite pretty. Better yet, it is a very easy plant for the beginning desert gardener.
The silver bush, also known as the morning glory, needs full sun, so that’s super easy, right? Considered a shrub and perennial, it needs little water in the winter (twice a month for 3 to 4 minutes) and then once a week from May through October for 4 to 5 minutes. This bush is one of the Valley’s known disease-resistant plants!
It blooms from late spring to early summer, producing soft, white blooms that are 1 to 2 inches in diameter. The plant itself is approximately 2 feet tall and may spread up to 4 feet wide. It’s a prolific bloomer and long-flowering shrub that attracts pollinators. The next best time to plant them is in early November.
Besides sun and water, this bush has only one other request: chalky, crumbly soil that is well draining and sandy. Chalky soil contains a high percentage of calcium carbonate, which comes from our limestone and tends to be more alkaline. So, pick a sunny, dryer part of your yard to plant this shrub.
Some pruning is required in the spring/early summer timeframe. With sharp, clean pruning shears, clip back the flowering ends. If desired, the plant can be shaped to a round or square shape. Fertilizing is only needed once a year, in the spring, and an all-purpose plant food will suffice. Expect this plant to live for two years through cold and heat with the right soil, water, and sun.
Cold hearty, heat tolerant, low maintenance, and pretty white flowers two or three times annually—what could be better?