Red Butte Garden—beautiful from the parking lot!

August marks the ending of summer, and it is showcasing its true colors. Good news is... you don't need to set foot inside the garden to see them! If you only make it to the parking lot, you will still get a fabulous show. The plants in our parking lot are the toughest of the tough, as they need to be able to handle tougher conditions than the plants inside the garden. If you can't take the heat and want to pop out of your air-conditioned vehicle and then back in, come see what we have "growing on" in the parking lot!

Find information to plan your visit here. Reposted from the Red Butte Garden blog. Photos by Heidi Semper

**Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis)**

This Utah native tree is drought tolerant and a show stopper with its large pink flowers.

Light purple flowers with greenery. — PHOTO CREDIT: Heidi Simper
Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis)
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**Oregon Grape (Mahonia repens)**

This is a tough Utah native that makes a wonderful groundcover, providing beauty through every season.

Bunches of blue fruits that look like blueberries. — PHOTO CREDIT: Heidi Simper
Oregon Grape (Mahonia repens)
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**Prairie Verbena (Glandularia bipinnatifida)**

This sprawling, perennial groundcover adds a soothing light purple to the landscape when in flower.

Lilac colored small flowers make up a bold of flowers. — PHOTO CREDIT: Heidi Simper
Prairie Verbena (Glandularia bipinnatifida)
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**Cheyenne Spirit Coneflower (Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit')**

Fire hydrants need to stay visible and accessible, and if your local fire station allows, planting small flowers nearby is a great way to beautify the space around one. The Unified Fire Authority states on their website, "If you are concerned about how the hydrant looks on your property, you are more than welcome to beautify the space around it with flowers. But in doing so, be aware that the hydrant must be visible, accessible, and that the possibility of destruction of your plant life around the hydrant is very high in the event of an emergency." Click here for more information.

Daisy-looking flowers in multiple colors surrounding a fire hydrant. — PHOTO CREDIT: Heidi Simper
Cheyenne Spirit Coneflower (Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit')
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**Rocky Mountain Bee Plant (Cleome serrulata)**

This is a Utah native annual that spreads easily by seed, so it tends to move around the parking lot.

MEDIA & PR CONTACTS

Mindy Wilson Director of marketing and public relations, Red Butte Garden
801.581.4938 mindy.wilson@redbutte.utah.edu

@theU

Red Butte Garden—beautiful from the parking lot!