September in Arizona brings cooler temperatures that make it perfect for planting drought-resistant gardens. Creating beautiful plant combinations that thrive with minimal water can transform your yard into a desert oasis.
These pairings work together by sharing similar water needs while offering contrasting textures, colors, and heights that bring visual interest to your landscape.
1. Desert Sunset Duo
Red Yucca and Mexican Bird of Paradise create a stunning color explosion in any Arizona garden. The arching, grass-like foliage of Red Yucca produces tall flower stalks with coral-pink blooms.
Mexican Bird of Paradise adds a dramatic flair with its feathery green foliage and bright yellow or red flowers. Both plants attract hummingbirds while requiring almost no supplemental water once established.
2. Silver And Purple Paradise
Dusty Miller’s silvery-white foliage creates a magical contrast against the deep purple blooms of Mexican Bush Sage. The fuzzy, frost-like leaves seem to glow in moonlight, making this combo perfect for evening gardens.
Mexican Bush Sage produces velvety purple flower spikes that butterflies can’t resist. Plant these together in a sunny spot where you can enjoy their complementary textures and colors from September through fall.
3. Golden Desert Glow
Combine Damianita with Yellow Bells for a sunny corner that radiates warmth. Damianita forms a compact, rounded shrub covered in tiny golden flowers that smell like apples when brushed against.
Yellow Bells tower above with their trumpet-shaped blooms dangling from upright stems. Together they create a multi-level display that blooms profusely after summer rains. The yellow color theme brightens any landscape while standing up to Arizona’s harsh conditions.
4. Spiky Blue Contrast
Blue Agave and Desert Spoon create a sculptural masterpiece with their complementary forms. The bold blue-gray leaves of Blue Agave form a perfect rosette that commands attention in any landscape.
Nearby, Desert Spoon (Dasylirion wheeleri) adds texture with its thin, spiny leaves that cascade like a fountain. Both plants have similar water needs but completely different shapes, creating visual interest without requiring frequent watering. A layer of decorative gravel completes this striking pairing.
5. Fuzzy And Feathery Fusion
Lamb’s Ear and Fountain Grass create a textural wonderland in your garden. The soft, velvety leaves of Lamb’s Ear beg to be touched, with their silvery-gray color adding a cool element to hot gardens.
Fountain Grass provides movement with its arching form and feathery seed heads that catch the light. Plant these together where afternoon shade protects them from intense summer heat. Their contrasting textures—fuzzy versus feathery—create a sensory experience that works beautifully in border plantings.
6. Lavender and Sage Symphony
French Lavender paired with White Sage creates a fragrant, water-wise garden that delights the senses. The purple flower spikes of lavender stand tall above its gray-green foliage, releasing their calming scent when brushed against.
White Sage adds larger, silvery leaves that shimmer in the breeze. Both plants have aromatic qualities that repel pests naturally. This Mediterranean-inspired combination thrives in poor soil and full sun, making it perfect for challenging spots in your Arizona landscape.
7. Coral Reef Desert Garden
Firecracker Penstemon and Angelita Daisy create a coral-colored display that mimics an underwater reef. The bright red tubular flowers of Penstemon shoot upward like ocean coral, attracting hummingbirds from miles around.
Angelita Daisy forms a neat mound of green topped with sunny yellow flowers that bloom nearly year-round. Plant this combination in full sun where you can enjoy the vibrant color contrast. Both natives thrive with rainfall alone once established, making maintenance virtually worry-free.
8. Pastel Desert Dreams
Pair Trailing Lantana with Parry’s Penstemon for a soft pastel palette that softens harsh desert landscapes. Trailing Lantana spills over garden edges with clusters of lavender flowers that attract butterflies all season long.
Parry’s Penstemon adds height with its slender stems of pink tubular blooms. Plant this combination near patios or walkways where you can enjoy their gentle colors up close. Both plants handle heat beautifully while providing continuous blooms through fall when planted in September.
9. Structural Succulent Showcase
Artichoke Agave and Moroccan Mound make a striking architectural statement in any yard. The broad, blue-green leaves of Artichoke Agave form a perfect rosette pattern that looks like a giant flower.
Moroccan Mound (Euphorbia resinifera) creates a contrasting geometric form with its square stems arranged in tight clusters. The blue-green and yellow-green colors complement each other perfectly. This low-maintenance pair requires almost no water once established and looks stunning when highlighted with accent lighting at night.
10. Butterfly Banquet Border
Autumn Sage and Desert Milkweed create a pollinator paradise that’s buzzing with life. The compact Autumn Sage produces red, pink, or purple flowers on woody stems that bloom heaviest in fall.
Desert Milkweed adds drama with its tall stems, narrow leaves, and clusters of cream-colored flowers that monarch butterflies depend on. Together they provide food for different butterfly species while handling drought with ease. This wildlife-friendly combination brings movement and color to any sunny garden spot.
11. Southwest Sunset Garden
Globe Mallow and Blackfoot Daisy create a sunset-inspired color scheme that captures Arizona’s famous evening skies. Globe Mallow’s coral-orange cup-shaped flowers dance above gray-green foliage on slender stems.
Blackfoot Daisy forms a low-growing mat of white flowers with yellow centers that bloom nearly year-round. Plant this native duo in the poorest soil you have—they’ll actually perform better with less care! Their contrasting heights and complementary colors create a natural-looking desert garden that thrives on neglect.
12. Fragrant Desert Breeze
Cleveland Sage and Chocolate Flower create a sensory experience beyond just visual beauty. Cleveland Sage produces whorls of lavender-blue flowers on upright stems, releasing an intoxicating fragrance that’s considered the true smell of the desert.
Chocolate Flower earns its name from the rich cocoa scent its yellow daisy-like flowers release each morning. Plant this aromatic pair where morning sun will warm them, releasing their fragrances into the air. Both plants attract beneficial insects while requiring minimal care.
13. Desert Hummingbird Haven
Chuparosa and Baja Fairy Duster create a hummingbird magnet that brings brilliant flashes of color to your garden. Chuparosa’s name means “hummingbird sucker” in Spanish, with its tubular red flowers perfectly shaped for hummingbird beaks.
Baja Fairy Duster adds whimsical red powder-puff blooms that seem to float above its delicate foliage. Both plants bloom heaviest in fall and spring but produce flowers year-round in mild winters. Their red colors stand out brilliantly against desert landscapes while providing vital nectar for migrating hummingbirds.