PLANTS IN HOT AND DRY REGION

SUBMITTED TO:- SUBMITTED BY:-

AR. URMILA PAWAR EKTA AGARWAL
KANIKA AGARWAL
KOMAL SHARMA
PRATIBHA SONI
POORVI JAIN
VII SEM SEC - A
CATEGORIES OF PLANTS IN REGION
• SUCCULENTS-Cactus and other plants that store lots of
water to help them through the dry seasons are called
succulents. During even light rains, these plants soak
up as much water as they can hold, storing the water in
large storage areas in roots, leaves, or plant stems.
• ANNUALS-Some plants only live and grow during the
wet season, producing seeds that can tolerate the dry
season. These plants are called annuals, because they
reappear every year
• PERENNIALS-Other plants called perennials live for
several years, but may go dormant or inactive during
the dry season.
PERENNIAL PLANTS
• THE Belliric Myrabolan belongs to
a very large family of important
forest trees and because of its
handsome appearance and fine
proportions it is often planted by
roadsides. It is found throughout
the forests of India, Burma and Sri
Lanka and the Malay peninsula,
below elevations of about 900 m.
but not in the very arid regions. It
is deciduous, losing its leaves
between November and April in
dry places and only during
February-March in damper
situations. It grows well on poor
soil and in the best conditions will
reach a height of 36 m.
• It is a moderate-sized, deciduous tree, growing well at any height up to
1200 m.
• The bark is greenish-grey and smooth on young trees, but with age it
becomes brown and rough. Between February and May the leaves get dull
and ragged and many of them fall. New leaves are a lovely, tender green
sometimes tinged with pink, or a rich copper colour, clothed beneath with
a soft down. Until fully grown they remain pendulous and folded. The
leaves are large and compound, consisting of three to eight pairs of oval
12.5 cm. leaflets on short stems.. During the hot season when the long,
drooping sprays of clear, yellow flowers clothe the tree in a mantle of
gold, it is indeed a glorious sight. Each spray is more than 30 cm. in length
and bears on long, slim stalks, numerous, large, deliciously fragrant
flowers and rounded buds
 It is a small or medium tree, rarely rising
beyond 12 m. with straight, fine, grey-
downy branchlets. The small, goldenyellow
balls appear in fragrant groups during July
and November - throughout the year in
some localities - and consists of numerous,
tiny blossoms resting in minute calices and
having distinct stamens. Half-way down the
flower stalks are broad bracts or irregularly
developed leaves. The narrow, stiff,
leathery pods, densely lined with fine
down, are from 7.5 to 15 cm. in length and
enclose a
 It is large and deciduous with a
thick, grey bark, vertically cracked
and wrinkled. Most of the leaves
fall from February to April, and
during that time the musky-
scented flowers appear. They hang
in close bunches of a dozen or so
from the end of the gnarled, grey
branchlets. Actually the word
‘hang’ is incorrect because, when a
bunch is inverted, the flower stalks
are sufficiently rigid to maintain
their position. These stalks are
green or pink and furry, about 5
cm. long
 HIBISCUS

It produces lovely white, blue or

mauve flowers, either single or
double and grows to about 2.7 m.
Like hollyhocks they spring from
the axils of the leaves. From April
to September it bears red or
orange-red flowers, drooping and
fuschia-like with deeply fringed
petals. The staminal tube us
exceptionally long, up to 15cm. in
length
This large, attractive shrub is easily
recognised by its narrow, pointed
leaves and scattered, yellow
flowers The waxy, yellow flowers
up to 5 cm. across, are slightly
fragrant but short-lived. However,
blossoms continue to appear
throughout the year They spring
from the ends of the branchlets
and from small side shoots and are
bell-shaped with five overlapping
petals. Pale buff and cream-
coloured flowers are sometimes
seen.
The drought-tolerant Chitalpa tree
(Chitalpa x tashkentensis), left, will
grow 2 feet or more every year to a
mature height of 25 to 30 feet. It
has an open branching structure
and casts a dappled shade. This
heat-loving tree blooms with pink,
white or lavender flowers all
summer long. Low water usage
after it is established in your
xeriscape garden.
Another fast grower is the majestic
Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia),
right. It can reach 30 feet tall
within 5 years and ultimately grow
to a height of 40 to 60 feet. It has a
graceful weeping shape at
maturity. It can be planted in a
lawn where it will receive regular
irrigation, but also does well with
less, but consistent, watering.
The name Mesquite Tree
(Prosopis) instantly brings up
images of cowboys and the Old
West. These trees grow very fast
and definitely prefer little water
after they are established. In fact,
if you plant your mesquite in a
lawn it will grow tall and lush
with a very shallow root system
— and may very likely blow over
with the first strong windstorm.
Infrequent, deep watering is best
because it encourages the roots
to go deep into the soil.
Olive (Olea europea ‘Swan
Hill’) – the olive, along with
the palm and cypress trees,
has traditionally been
considered the defining tree
of the Mediterranean garden
style. Grows fast when young
and should be pruned to the
desired shape starting early.
Can reach 30 feet. Moderate
to low water usage.
• Pittosporum (Pittosporum
tobira), comes in dwarf, shrub
and tree forms, all of them
evergreen and drought-
tolerant. The dwarf size is an
excellent foundation plant.
The mid-size is ideal for a
loose, rounded hedge that can
reach 8 to 10 feet in height.
The Pittosporum tree grows to
25 feet tall. The shrub and
tree forms have incredibly
fragrant flowers in Spring.
• Smoke Bush (Cotinus coggygria
“Royal Purple“) – beautiful dark
reddish purple leaves are the
hallmark of this small tree. Grows
either as a multi-trunk shrub or a
single trunk tree to 15 feet high.
The hybrid C. ‘Grace’ has blue-green
leaves and seed pods that appear to
be large airy cloudlike puffs of
cotton candy. In Fall the leaves turn
to orange and bright red. A new
introduction is the “Golden Spirit”
variety, which has brilliant golden
yellow leaves. Low water usage for
all three varieties.
Heavenly bamboo (Nandina
domestica) – looks like short
bamboo but has brilliant
yellow, orange and reddish
leaves. Can grow slowly to
moderately to 6 feet. In the
desert needs some shelter
from blasting sunlight. It may
need treatment for iron-
deficiency which turns the
leaves yellow with green
veins. Very drought tolerant.
Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantina) –
a low grower that is good for
edging borders and it grows fast
and spreads quickly. Soft, fuzzy
gray leaves are what they are
usually planted for. Small purple
flowers bloom from thick erect
stems. This Lamb’s Ear in bloom
shares a border with varigated
turf lily (Liriope muscari) and a
sunflower (Helianthus)
Korean boxwood (Buxus
microphylla koreana) – slow
growing to 2 1/2 feet high,
this shrub does well in a hot,
dry climate. It can be sheared
to a geometric shape or left
untrimmed and still be a tidy
plant.
• This Japanese privet (Ligustrum japonicum) has a
skirt of drought-tolerant deer grass
(Muhlenbergia rigens). Together they keep heat away
from the wall.

Pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana) – fast growing to 8 feet tall in

one season with even taller white or pale yellow “plumes”. Cut
back every couple of years to 18 inches during January or it may
end up 20 feet high. Leaves are toothy and will cut into skin so
do not plant it near a walkway.
• This neat and tidy double
hedge on the top of a stuccoed
retaining wall combines a taller
drought-tolerant Pittosporum
hedge in back and Indian
Hawthorne (Rhaphiolepis
indica) as the lower hedge in
front. In spring the Pittosporum
has smallish white flowers with
an amazing fragrance and
Indian Hawthorne is densely
covered with bright pink
blooms
The evergreen Myrtle (Myrtus
communis) hedge takes care
of itself. This shrub has a
naturally globular shape with
fine textured, bright green
foliage that does not need
much trimming. It has small
white flowers and, later, blue-
black berries in the Fall. Low
water usage with good
drainage required. Makes a
wide hedge.
 SAGAURO CACTUS

The Saguaro Cactus is a cactus with

smooth and waxy skin that lives only

in the Southwest (Sonoran) Desert.

The branches of the Saguaro Cactus

grow upright with the trunk of the

cactus. This kind of cactus can grow to

be very tall. The Saguaro Cactus grows

best in a hot, dry, rocky climate.

THE PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS

consists of many round circular

pads growing from a thick,

round trunk. The pads are all

course and barbed and

Pricklywith
covered Pearspines.
Cactus These

pads can also be used to store

water for the cactus in case of

a drought. The Prickly Pear

Cactus can grow up to seven

feet tall.
TUMBLEWEED

The Tumbleweed is a plant that

breaks away from its roots and is

driven around by the wind.

These plants can be as small as a

soccer ball or as big as a car.

They grow and spread very

quickly because the hot, flat

desert terrain makes it easy for

them to travel.