Mystery: Solved!
CONFESSION: I’m not a fan of desert plants, which might seem strange considering I live in the desert. My ideal garden would be inspired by the French countryside or a Mediterranean villa in Italy. I know, I know I am living in the wrong state. But we will not get into that right now…
However, this year my interest was piqued by the “Silverbush” plant during early spring. It happened while we were enjoying the pleasant 80-degree weather in Arizona and leaving a new brunch spot in Gilbert, AZ. As we were driving out of the parking lot, I asked my husband to stop the car so that I could take a photo of these beautiful plants that had caught my eye. Using an app called Picturethis, it identified them as Silverbush plants. Intrigued, I spent the next few months searching for this plant at my local nursery and even contacted nurseries several hours away. Surely if they were being displayed at a local retail shopping center, they would be available for purchase nearby? Unfortunately, when I asked for Silverbush plants, no one knew what I was talking about. Even our landscapers insisted that what I was looking for was called Morning Glory. However, when researching “Morning Glory” on the internet, it turned out to be something entirely different. Here is what I found:
Well, the flower appears to be similar in that they are trumpet shaped but other than that I was looking specifically for a white flowering, silver-leafed plant. After months of checking my local nurseries diligently, luck struck when strolling through an aisle at a tree farm: there they were!
The label said “Morning Glory Bush,” but using my handy dandy iPhone app confirmed that it was indeed the Silverbush. Mystery solved!
Apparently in Arizona it’s known as Morning Glory Bush but everywhere else in the world it goes by Silverbush. It is also worth mentioning that the term Silver Mound has been used which is not correct either. The Silver Mound looks very similar but from what I could find, it does not produce any flowers but does possess a similar silver leaf color.
Although not an expert myself, if anyone is reading this post then consider yourself saved from months of problem-solving – you’re welcome!
Further research on Wikipedia revealed that this plant can be found in Spain, Italy , Croatia , and Albania – explaining why its allure resonates with me.
The thing that excites me most is that this plant can survive the scorching hot Summers! They are perennials and are drought tolerant, check and check! The fact that they bloom white flowers in the Spring time was icing on the cake for me and I had to have them!
Now Fall has arrived in Arizona, and in just a couple of weeks, I’ll finally be able to plant these beauties in our yard. The anticipation has been overwhelming, and I can’t wait! I promise to provide an update with photos in the spring when they’re due to bloom. Meanwhile, I’ve created a video showcasing the plants when I brought them home; you can check it out on my new YouTube channel!
Thank you for visiting, and don’t forget to check out my landscaping essentials shop for must-haves if you’re looking to expand your gardening tools arsenal and sign up for more of my gardening experiences as I learn along the way. Happy gardening!
