City guide · Zone 10a
What to plant in Phoenix, Arizona
A full-sun bed in Phoenix: Dwarf bottlebrush 'Little John', Pink muhly grass, Blanket flower 'Arizona Sun', Lily of the Nile, Hardy ice plant. Zone 10a, frost is rare.
Low desert with extreme summer heat. Desert-adapted plants only; afternoon shade and deep, infrequent watering are key.
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Phoenix, Arizona at a glance
- Hardiness zone (2023 USDA)
- 10a (ZIP 85004)
- Typical last spring frost
- Rare
- Typical first fall frost
- Rare
- Spring planting window
- February to early April
- Fall planting window
- November to January
- Annual rainfall (approx.)
- 8 in
Frost dates are typical metro values, not forecasts. Extreme summer heat and very low rainfall are the limiting factors; the zone number says nothing about either. Our lists for Phoenix use the rules for the Desert Southwest.
Zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023 (USDA Agricultural Research Service; data by the PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University). ZIP code to state data: GeoNames (geonames.org), CC BY 4.0.
A full-sun bed in Phoenix
6 or more hours of direct summer sun, 12 × 6 ft.
12 × 6 ft · Zone 10a · 6+ hours of sun · Low-water
Callistemon viminalis 'Little John'
Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 3.5 ft apart · grows 3–5 ft tall · Mar–May
Listed as invasive in Florida in our table. Don't plant it there.
Can't find it? Use Upright rosemary 'Tuscan Blue' or Indian hawthorn.
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Grass · Back of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2.5 ft apart · grows 2.5–3.5 ft tall · Sep–Nov
Can't find it? Use Adam's needle yucca 'Color Guard' or Mat rush 'Breeze'.
Gaillardia × grandiflora 'Arizona Sun'
Filler · Front of bed · quart pot · 1.3 ft apart · grows 0.5–1 ft tall · Jun–Oct
Can't find it? Use Blackfoot daisy or Desert marigold.
Agapanthus africanus
Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Jun–Aug
Can't find it? Use Autumn sage or California fuchsia.
Delosperma cooperi
Edge · Edge of bed · quart pot · 1 ft apart · grows 3–6 in tall · Jun–Sep
Can't find it? Use Silver carpet.
Kinds
5
Plants
27
Coverage
87%
Gravel
0.44 cu yd
Gravel or decomposed granite: 0.44 cu yd at 2 in deep (6 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 87% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.
A part-shade bed in Phoenix
2 to 4 hours of direct summer sun, 12 × 6 ft.
Our plant table doesn't have enough plants for this yet: it can't fill a full bed for 2 to 4 hours of direct summer sun in zone 10a.
A shady bed in Phoenix
Under 2 hours of direct summer sun, 12 × 6 ft.
Our plant table doesn't have enough plants for this yet: it can't fill a full bed for under 2 hours of direct summer sun in zone 10a.
Questions and answers
- What hardiness zone is Phoenix, Arizona in?
- Central Phoenix (ZIP 85004) is in zone 10a on the 2023 USDA map: the coldest night of an average winter falls between 30°F and 35°F. Suburbs can be half a zone colder.
- When is the last frost in Phoenix?
- Frost is rare in central Phoenix, so planting time depends more on heat and rain than on frost.
- When should I plant shrubs and perennials in Phoenix?
- In spring, February to early April; in fall, November to January. Fall planting gives roots a cool, moist season to settle before summer.
- How many plants do I need for a 12 × 6 ft bed in Phoenix?
- Our full-sun bed list for Phoenix uses 27 plants of 5 kinds, plus 6 bags of mulch.
How this page was made
This page was generated from FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules: the rules engine composed each list for the city's 2023 USDA zone, its region's summers and its state's invasive lists. The frost dates and rainfall are approximate metro values. No person or chat model chose these plants, and no named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Data by the PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University.
- ZIP code to state data: GeoNames (geonames.org), licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants