Desert Blooms

Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson This ornamental 'NuMex Twilight' chile plant produces colorful fruit all season long (photo credit The Chile Pepper Institute). High levels of anthocyanin pigments make this bell pepper dark purple (photo credit Mary S.). Question : What’s the difference between different colors on peppers? I’m getting red fruit and purple fruit on the same plant. -         Mary S., Santa Fe, NM Answer: The diverse colors on peppers are indicators that they are rich in phytochemicals, whether they be sweet, hot, or sweet and hot. Three main classes of phytochemicals are responsible for these pretty pigments. Chlorophyll is commonly associated with greenness. Carotenoids are the phytochemicals causing the colors to get warmer as they turn from yellow to orange to red. And anthocyanins create those dynamic purple and blackish colors. The relative concentrations of these phytochemicals as they ...

Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson Can you guess which one of these Austrian pines was attacked by the pine sawyer beetle? (photo credit Richard C.) Question: One of my Austrian pines started turning brown at the top this spring, and as can be seen is now 3/4 brown. The trees are drip irrigated and were fertilized lightly for the first 20 years. Today, I found an inch-long bug on the bark. Could these bugs be pine sawyers and, if so, what’s the best approach to control them? -         Richard C., Question Submitted via Bernalillo County Horticulture Extension Agent, Sara Moran Pine sawyer beetle hiding in plain sight on bark of an Austrian pine tree in Albuquerque (photo credit Richard C.). Answer: Dr. Carol Sutherland, NMSU Extension Entomology Specialist and NMDA State Entomologist, provided a detailed response: “The pictured beetle is indeed the pine sawyer. That would be Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Mo...

Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson Yellow nutsedge seedhead (photo credit L. Beck).   Question: This nut grass is taking over my yard. Please help. -           Lori D., Las Cruces, NM Answer: Many of us are familiar with the late, great nutsedge invasion of our garden beds, lawns, fields, and orchards this time of year. NMSU Extension Weed Specialist, Dr. Leslie Beck, explains how to distinguish between sedges and grasses: Sedges look very similar to grasses, but they are in a completely different family (Cyperaceae vs. Poaceae). When you pull away the leaf blades of grass plants, the remaining central stalks (aka culms) are just compressed leaf sheaths. So, a cross-section of a grass culm is hollow. Sedges tend to have solid culms that are distinctly triangle-shaped. This can be easily observed by rolling the base of the stalk back and forth between your thumb and forefinger to see if it feels edgy, like a ...

Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson UPDATE NOTE Feb 9th, 2022: My 3 favorite plant ID apps are iNaturalist, Pl@ntNet, and PictureThis, in that order. But these three don't ALWAYS work... or even help. See NEW Feb 2022 column for more details. This pretty flower growing at a City of Albuquerque greenhouse looked beebalmy to me, but I wasn't sure, so I used the app Pl@ntNet to confirm (see below for screenshot). Question : What smartphone apps or other tools do you like for plant identification? -           Several New Mexican Gardeners Answer: Plant identification is important and fun, but it can also be frustrating and potentially dangerous if done wrong. In the past year, I have downloaded—and subsequently deleted—multiple smartphone apps that were clumsy, slow, or yielded incorrect results. The one I find myself going back to again and again is called Pl@ntNet . Screenshot from my smartphone using Pl@ntNet t...

Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson   Figure 1. Blue grama ( Bouteloua gracilis ), the state grass of New Mexico, photographed in November 2017 near Carson National Forest (photo credit M. Thompson). Question : Do you have recommendations for native grass species for residential landscapes and how to care for them? -         Otero County Extension Master Gardeners Answer: Bigger ornamental grasses provide beautiful backdrops, hedgerows, and screens in our landscapes. Smaller species help fill in between broadleaf plants and make great garden borders. Both big and small grasses provide texture, contrast, and grace , all with minimal maintenance and zero fertilizer. In winter, when many of our ornamental plants have shed their leaves, grasses can be delightful, even though they’re dormant and brown. When selecting native grasses for your garden, pay attent...