Shrub · Sonoran native
Desert honeysuckle
Anisacanthus thurberi · Acanthaceae
Also called: Thurber's desert honeysuckle, chuparosa (regional, ambiguous)
Desert honeysuckle (Anisacanthus thurberi) is a low-water shrub native to the Sonoran Desert region well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It grows to 4-6 ft H x 3-4 ft W (occasionally to 8 ft H), with a moderate to fast growth rate.
Desert honeysuckle at a glance
- Water use
- Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun to light/filtered shade; flowers best in full sun.
- Mature size
- 4-6 ft H x 3-4 ft W (occasionally to 8 ft H)
- Growth rate
- Moderate to fast
- Bloom
- Orange to brick-red, tubular flowers, Spring into early summer (March-June), with scattered rebloom after summer rains.
- Cold hardiness
- Hardy to about 10-15 F; roughly USDA zone 8. Deciduous in winter and after hard frost; root-hardy and resprouts.
- Soil
- Adaptable; prefers well-drained sandy or gravelly soils. Tolerant of native, lean desert soils.
- Native range
- Sonoran Desert and adjacent uplands of central and southern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and northern Sonora, Mexico; grows along desert washes and riparian margins.
- Best used as
- Hummingbird/pollinator garden, Informal screen or filler shrub, Revegetation and natural desert landscapes, Wash and riparian-style plantings
- Wildlife
- Strong hummingbird magnet; also visited by butterflies and bees. Larval host for some butterflies; provides cover for small birds.
- Toxicity
- Not known to be toxic to people or pets.
How to grow Desert honeysuckle in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Drought tolerant once established; water deeply but infrequently, roughly every 2-3 weeks in summer for a fuller plant and more bloom. Reflects its wash-margin origin where it gets occasional deeper moisture.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Low needs; not required in reasonable native soil. An optional light application of balanced or slow-release fertilizer in early spring encourages denser growth and bloom.
Pruning & care
Prune hard in late winter (before spring flush) to renew form and remove frost-damaged or leggy wood; tolerates cutting back to a low framework. Light tip-pruning after the main bloom encourages rebloom.
Notes
A tough, fast Arizona native that fills in quickly and reblooms with summer monsoon moisture. Winter-deciduous, so plan for a bare, twiggy look in cold months; the late-winter hard prune resets it. White exfoliating bark on older stems.
Sources: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum plant care sheet (Anisacanthus thurberi); AMWUA 'Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert'; Arizona Native Plant Society; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center