Apache plume

Fallugia paradoxa

Description

Apache plume is an evergreen shrub with tiny leaves, upright branching, white flowers and amazing feather-like seed clusters. This desert native can grow 4-5 ft. tall and as wide, and is best suited to sunny locations and well-draining conditions with low amounts of supplemental water.

Apache plume is often combined with other California natives in desert and sage scrub planting schemes. It fits nicely with palo verde and mesquite trees, desert lavender, desert encelia, chuparosa, desert fairy duster and golden barrel cactus. It provides a long season of landscape interest due to its white flowers and persistent seed clusters.

Plant Type: Shrub
Foliage Character: Evergreen
Habit: Upright, Mounding
Growth Rate: Moderate
Foliage Color: Medium green
Flower Color: White
Flower Season: Spring
Soil Adaptations: Well-draining soil
Exposure Adaptations: Heat, Frost, Drought, Aridity, All day sun
Function: Rock gardens, Raised planters, Parks and open space, Flowering accent plant, California native, Borders, Banks, Background plant
Height: 4 ft. – 5 ft.
Width: 4 ft. – 5 ft.

Watering Schedule: Low 1

For most situations, we recommend watering deeply every 3-4 weeks after establishment.

Learn how to apply this watering schedule to your landscape on our How to water waterwise and California native plants page.

Important Notes

These are general guidelines. Always observe and adjust as necessary for your landscape.
If it rains over 1” you will likely not need to water for at least another 3-4 weeks. Before watering again, check the soil. It should be significantly dry at least 4” below the soil surface before watering.
If you have a “smart timer” or weather sensitive irrigation controller, it is best not to use the automatic weather adjusting features for plants in this category. While very useful for watering higher water demanding plants, those in this category have natural drought adaptations which mean they do not need to be watered more in warm weather. Using the weather adjusting features will result in either overwatering in summer or underwatering in fall and spring.
It is important to group plants with the same water needs together in the landscape to avoid needing to over or under water plants when running your irrigation system.