Plants for Gila County
NOTE: There are hundreds if not thousands of plant choices for the Arizona Highlands. This list is not intended to be an exclusive list or that these should be the only plants to choose from. Rather, it is to provide suggestions that address common growing conditions and challenges inherent to the area.
The population of cities and towns in the upper elevations of Arizona (above 3,000 feet) has increased significantly over the years and is projected to continue to grow. Most residents of these communities are faced with unfamiliar landscape needs: Which plants would be best to select for their desired function? Which would be best suited to site’s environmental conditions? Which would be drought-tolerant and low water-use? This is also complicated by factors of latitude and microclimate. Microclimate refers to effects on temperature cause by proximate changes in elevation, aspect and slope. Places of similar altitude in Cochise and Mohave Counties experience different averages for nights of frost and maximum cold temperatures. In other counties with areas of hilly topography, such as Gila and Yavapai, the effect altitude has upon climate may be less a factor than aspect or position on a slope or drainage.
Arizona residents need to make well informed plant selections with practical adjustments for local microclimatic conditions.
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