Hardiness zones
Sunset 8, 9, 14-24
USDA 9-11 (arid and semi arid regions are best)
Landscape Use: Informal accent and/or hedge plant, landscape medians, foundation, winter accent for dry landscapes, hummingbird gardens
Form & Character: Evergreen perennial, a compact eremophila cultivar that has a nice informal shape
Growth Habit: Slow to grow after transplanting into the landscape. Once established, moderate to 4' to 6' in height with somewhat greater spread. Sparse to later full.
Foliage/Texture: Alternate arrangement, lanceolate, small, light to gray green leaves to 1.5", sessile, medium fine texture.
Flowers & Fruits: Auxiliary and tubular on short curved peduncle which holds 1" long flowers upright, profuse, reddish. Fruit inconspicuous.
Seasonal Color: Colorful flowers in late winter and early spring.
Temperature: Hardy to 23oF
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Extremely salt and alkaline tolerant, needs good drainage.
Watering: Tolerates some aridity.
Pruning: Responds well to light shearing after flowering in early May as needed, mostly leave alone and control growth by regulating irrigation rates. "Meatballers" love to shear this plant too (Hey, in reality they love to shear all plants).
Propagation: Stem cuttings
Disease and pests: None
Additional comments: 'Valentine' attract hummingbirds. Eremophila is a genus with many species (such as E. maculata) that has with great landscaping potential in the Phoenix area. Eremophila maculata 'Valentine' is a nice medium-sized landscape shrub for transition areas in oasis design or tough landscape spots that attracts hummingbirds. It does most of it's growing in late summer and fall. Though it might look sparse when first planted, it fills out nicely within one year.
Other Eremophila
found in Phoenix landscapes include:
Eremophila decipiens
Eremophila divaricata
Eremophila glabra ‘Murchinson River’ (rather poorly adapted to the Phoenix area)
Eremophila laanii 'Pink Beauty'
Eremophila maculata 'Winter Gold'
Eremophila pachyphylla (syn. Eremophila psilocalyx)
Eremophila polyclada x divaricata 'Summertime Blue'
Eremophila racemosa
