Greenleaf Manzanita graces higher elevations

Question: While hiking in Sedona near Cathedral Rock recently, I saw this reddish-brown bush with green leaves and smooth bark, captured in the enclosed photo. Do you have any idea what it is?

Answer: The plant in the photo looks to be a Greenleaf Manzanita or Arctostaphylos patula. This is often a sprawling bush found at higher elevations such as Sedona and Payson. Manzanita blooms from late spring through early summer. The flowers appear in grapelike clusters and are from pink to white. The most remarkable characteristic is the mottled coppery bark. KNOW YOUR DESERT GARDEN

Q: I would like to know the water and fertilization requirements for the golden ball lead tree. Also, what is the best time to prune palo blanco wilderina?

A: Both trees need little or no water in the winter. A deep soaking is needed in the summer about once a week while these trees are actively growing. Wait to do any pruning till after the last chance of frost is gone around Feb. 15. Neither tree needs supplemental fertilizer.

Reader feedback

From Surprise: I read your recent article on how to eliminate ground squirrels, which I call pack rats. Flushing them out with water down their hole does not work as they can burrow underground for a mile. Buy a rat trap for about $1.50 — make sure it is not a mousetrap — put peanut butter on it and place next to the hole carefully. I caught 64 in one week that way. (Be careful loading the trap as it is quite strong.)

From Tucson: Best possible way to get ground squirrels to go away: Give your husband a beer, wait awhile and send him to pee in and around the squirrels’ entrance hole. They obviously recognize a much bigger territory marker and are seen disappearing into the desert at a speed exceeding that of a roadrunner. This worked in Tucson and I suspect it would do so in the Phoenix area, too.