Carol Schatt is a volunteer with the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. She helps answers questions for the garden's plant hotline. I think the most common question has to do with the saguaros. The Arizona Republic Sonia Moreno-Filan stops to smell the roses in the garden at Mesa Community College. Just about everything will grow in Arizona, but depending on the plant, it may mean sacrifices of time, energy and money.
Roses do well here, as well as many annuals and perennials and vegetables.
In fact, roses are grown commercially in the West Valley for both local and nationwide consumption. Michelle Rauscher, a horticulturist with the Desert Botanical Garden, hasn't met anyone who has successfully grown a peony here. That's not to say someone hasn't grown one, but the peony is an example of a plant that doesn't do well in Arizona. The same goes for hydrangeas. They shrivel in our intense heat.