Sadly, I've found the hopbush, Dodonaea viscosa 'Purpurea', to be
the least sustainable plant in my yard. Of six that I planted a few
years ago, only 2 remain. The last one to go literally died
overnight. They are brittle, they do want water and, frankly, I have
never seen a bird eat a seed off this plant. 

Thanks for the list; I found several of the others listed to be
interesting. 

Thank you for posting this list!  We have desert landscaping with a
drip system, and I honestly never considered a sustainable garden. 
I'm looking forward to trying some of the plants on your list and
reducing water usage even more.

Hi, thanks for your list. I have been making lists and lists, trying
to decide what to plant on my land in the Chiricahuas, that will
survive the harsh climate and not use a lot of resources, ie water
and sweat. Your main criteria for sustainability is drought
tolerance, however, for much of Arizona, plants need other kind of
tolerances as well. Maybe you could help with a list of plants that
hold up under other conditions besides drought. For example:
Cold hardy to -0 
Resistance to high winds over 100 mi/hr for much of the year, 
Extreme heat, 
Animal and pest resistance.
 
My afghan pines that are supposed to be so tough, are
struggling,despite regular watering, and the jackrabbits have eaten
all the bottom branches of the lower 2 ft of each tree, and are
starting to eat the bark. I hesitate to plant anything else. Short
of building cages around everything, which I have no money for, I am
at a loss as to what to plant that will survive. I would like to
start with plants that can protect other plants, but what protects
the protectors? 
Thanks

Hi Cathy
That's a nice list.  
I have a couple of notes to offer regarding some of the comments
made so far.

First on hopbush, the green variety and it's hardiness in the
Phoenix metropolitan area.  I have one in a hot sunny spot with
reflected heat where I do not water and it is fine.  I planted a row
of these for a friend where they get no care at all and those are
huge and lovely.  It grows in the Superstitions untended and green
when many other plants are not.  
If there is an exception, it may be in areas that drain rapidly
(deep sand and gravel) where it may need supplemental water. 

Arizona isn't the only place that claims Dodonea viscosa as a
native.  Look at native plant nurseries in New Zealand online and
you'll see they claim it as well.  The common name there is Ake ake.
 I've heard that the purple variety is from down under but I don't
know.  I've seen other Dodoneas listed as native there, too!  It
looks like Dodonea has done some traveling.  I wonder what stories
it has to tell.  It may be that the purple variety differs in more
than appearance from the green variety.

Like most tools, general planting lists have their limits.  This
list is geared towards the urban southwest.
I would hesitate to use any general list for planting outside of
urban areas.  Gardeners in remote areas and in areas that border the
desert, woods, etc. would do well to consult more local sources.

Cathy, that would make a nice article for you to write - what kinds
of sources, how to find more specific sources than your regional
articles can supply.
  
One contributor mentioned the Chiricahuas.  This area contains many
different distinct habitats.  It is an area of high biodiversity
that deserves extra special care to avoid invasive species.  These
can cause havoc once we introduce them to an area.
Getting to know the native plants in specific areas make for nice
adventures.  
Resources to consider for the Chiricahuas: Southwest Research
Station in Portal and Tucson entities like the Sonoran Desert
Museum, Tohono Chul and the Desert Survivors Nursery.  All can be
found online.  

I've read that there is concern that lantana may be invasive in
Arizona, so I would not use it in an remote areas or in yards
bordering the desert.  In the rural-urban interface, considerations
like these are especially important.  I don't know if the concerns
about lantana warrant concern in urban areas as well.
It certainly is one plant that can survive and bloom colorfully in
difficult spots in Phoenix and butterflies like it, too.  

Thanks for all your articles and reminders and the opportunity to
put in our two cents as well.

Thanks to all of you for your interesting input. I’ve been out of
town away from computer access (it is possible!) so apologize for
the delayed response to comments. Alma, you are the first person
I’ve heard who has had such bad experiences with hopbush! Deb’s
comments below are the norm. If you have time, I’d appreciate it if
you would send more details on what time of year your hopbush was
planted, how often watered, how much water it received, your
particular growing conditions or location, any symptoms before
dying, and anything else you think important. I’d like to run your
experience by some of my plant experts, including a grower. 

I empathize with Kathleen’s comment about making “lists and lists”
because that is something that gardeners seem obligated to do, even
when we realize that there is no “one-list-fits-all” that will
provide the perfect landscape. There are so many variables, both in
plant material and landscape characteristics! As you mention,
cold-hardiness, wind resistance, extreme heat, animal and pest
resistance are all important characteristics to consider. I would
add sun exposure, soil type, elevation, mature plant size, and each
plant’s ultimate purpose for that landscape, such as providing food,
reducing erosion or adding seasonal interest. Because every
landscape has a unique microclimate, in fact, each landscape may
have many microclimates, what works in my yard, is likely quite
different than what works in Deb’s yard (a fellow Master Gardener
who lives in another part of Maricopa County) and very different
from what works in your Chiricahua Mountains of southern Arizona,
even though in terms of straight mileage, we aren’t that distant.
The best we can do is narrow our choices for our unique conditions,
provide good cultural care, and experiment! Some of the best
gardeners I know cheerfully acknowledge that they kill a lot of
plants in the learning process.

As for protecting plants, since even thorny, spiky plants get eaten
when creatures are hungry/thirsty, I’m not aware of any surefire
protection besides caging. Of course, caging everything can be
expensive and laborious. You might try something like Craig’s list
to see if anyone has materials to give away. I’m always surprised at
the good stuff that gets tossed in my neighborhood’s dumpsters.
Some folks have luck with caging shrubs/trees for a couple years
while plants establish, then taking it off when the branches are
above browsing level for rabbits and ground dwellers. However,
creatures may still girdle trunk tissue if left unprotected. I’ll
work on some suggestions more specific to your area for a future
report.

Deb, as always, thanks for your input. I’m checking with invasive
plant experts on lantana and will add what I find out.