Hardiness zones:
Sunset 7-24
USDA 8 - 11

Landscape Use: Accent, informal hedge, filler shrub for xeric landscape design styles.

Form & Character: Evergreen shrub to sometimes nearly deciduous in winter, rounded to irregular, dry looking.

Growth Habit: A somewhat smallish and dense Leucophyllum that might only grow to 3' to 6' tall with equal spread.

Foliage/Texture: Mostly alternate, densely tomentose including young stems, whitish silver, rounded and slightly cupped leaves leaves; medium fine texture.

Flowers & Fruits: Single, axillary indigo blue flowers, fruit inconspicuous.

Seasonal Color: Showy bloomer especially during the fall, with dark blue flowers.

Temperature: Hardy to 10^oF

Light: Full sun

Soil: Tolerant

Watering: Blue ranger should not be irrigated during the winter months (except during times of extreme drought such as the great winter drought of 2005-06). Otherwise, irrigate blue ranger regularly but infrequently during summer.

Pruning: Blue ranger requires little pruning if planted in the right location. Head back lightly in late February, and please, do not shear!

Propagation: Vegetative softwood cutting

Disease and pests: In the Phoenix area, Texas root rot is possible in heavy soils of former agricultural use, particularly those that grew cotton in earlier decades.

Additional comments: L. zygophyllum var. cimarron^TM (from Mountain States Wholesale Nursery) is relatively small shrub and is a great varietal selection for Phoenix landscape borders. It is also a nice substitute for L. candidum var. thunder cloud^TM in Phoenix clay soils because it is slightly less prone to root rot in lesser drained soils.