Timely post. I was wondering the same thing. I will be planting some perennials in a south facing planter this weekend. Hope its not frugal. Anyone help us out here? Been out of town until now, so I feel I may be a little late but I wont have another opportunity until late spring if I dont do it now.

2nd home is in the university area of tucson. Any recommendations as far as nurseries, or are the big box stores just as good. I doubt they have the same variety. Doing some planting this weekend.

I would hold off on the banana.....tender perennial there. I just planted a Desert Willow and it was an iffy decision. If we have a hard winter with low temps I may lose it. Depends on the tree really, tropicals like banana I would wait until spring.

Doc, I don't know where the university area is in Tucson but there are two nurseries there that I like. Mesquite Valley Growers - Speedway and Pantano and Desert Survivors on Starr Pass near I-10. Desert Survivors is run by disabled vets who start lots of native trees, bushes, plants. Mesquite Valley is very upscale.

If you want cactus plants you cannot miss with Bach's Cactus Nursery, Thornydale north of Cortaro Farms.

HTH.

I don't know much about timing planting in Southern Arizona, but fall planting is pushed pretty hard by nurseries even here in colder Northern NM, where it's definitely more of a sales strategy, and seems risky. Small fruit trees I've planted at this time have survived, but they were already dormant.

I was always under the impression that the fall planting thing was invented in places like Arizona, where cooler temps and higher soil moisture reserves make it better than in the dry, windy spring, or the oven hot summer. Seems like a banana might be risky now, but desert willow is one tough customer that sails through zone 5 winters without a problem!

I spoke with our nursery here in Casa Grande, and they said the Desert Willow can be planted year round here. Hardy and goes dormant anyway..

Oh goody! Thanks for the good news.

Would like to plant my containers with plants that could survive the winter in Bisbee. We are only here every once in awhile, think a neighbor would water if necessary, need something cold hardy? Going to Home Depot or Loews in Sierra Vista tomorrow, any ideas?

Thanks!

Wait till spring on the banana.