Native Plants

Native Plant List – Arizona & New Mexico

Last updated: March 2, 2026

This is a "starter" list of native plants for Arizona and New Mexico. It is intended for residential or commercial landscapers who want to create attractive and varied native landscapes.

Arizona and New Mexico Trees

Common Name	Scientific Name	Sun	Moisture	Height	Comments
Whitethorn Acacia	Acacia constricta	F	D	10'	Caliche okay. White blossoms.
Sweet Acacia	Acacia farnesiana	F	D	15'	Yellow fragrant blossoms. Fast grower.
Desert Willow	Chilopsis linearis	F	D	20'	Pink or purple flowers attract hummingbirds. Deciduous.
Arizona Cyprus	Cupressus arizonica	F	A	70'	Drought and heat tolerant. Soft, grey-green foliage.
Gregg Ash	Fraxinus greggii	F-P	A-D	15'	Good food for wildlife.
Fantex Ash	Fraxinus velutina	F	A	40'	Lush look. Holds dense canopy.
Arizona Walnut	Juglans major	F	A-W	40-50'	Male & female flowers on same tree. Deciduous.
Ironwood	Olneya tesota	F	D	25'	Protect from extended frost. Slow grower.
Emory Oak	Quercus emoryi	P	D-A	66'	Acorns are food for many mammals and birds.

Arizona and New Mexico Shrubs

Common Name	Scientific Name	Sun	Moisture	Height	Comments
Prairie Acacia	Acacia angustissima	F-P	A	4'	Generally thornless. White blossoms.
False Indigo Bush	Amorpha fruticosa	F	A	6-10'	Erosion control. Wildlife food and cover.
Desert Honeysuckle	Anisacanthus thurberi	F	D	4'	Red flowers and brown seeds.
Sand Sagebrush	Artemisia filifolia	F	D	4'	Evergreen. Provides ground cover for wildlife.
Four-Wing Saltbush	Atriplex canescens	F	D	5'	Great for birds. Good for erosion control.
Quail Brush	Atriplex lentiformis	F	D	8'	Great for birds. Hedges. Deciduous.
Fairy Duster	Calliandra eriophylla	F	D	3'	Pink, fluffy ball-shaped blossoms. Evergreen.
Desert Hackberry	Celtis pallida	F	D	8'	Great for wildlife. Hedges. Spiny. Erosion control.
Mountain Mahogany	Cercocarpus montanus	F-P	D	16'	White/pink blossoms. Evergreen.
Fern Bush	Chamaebatiaria millefolium	F-P	A-D	5'	Attracts butterflies. Semi-evergreen. White blossoms.
Western White Clematis	Clematis ligusticifolia	P	A	15'	White blossoms. Tolerates many soils.
Ragged Rock Flower	Crossosoma bigelovii	F	D	4'	Fragrant flowers.
Feather Dalea	Dalea formosa	F	D	2'	Good for low border or groundcover.
Mormon Tea	Ephedra nevadensis	F	D	3'	Slow growth. Inconspicuous yellow flowers.
Joint Fir	Ephedra trifurca	F	D	6'	Male plants produce yellow flowers in spring.
Turpentine Bush	Ericameria laricifolia	F	D	2'	Yellow clusters of blossoms in fall.
Flat-topped Buckwheat	Eriogonum fasciculatum v. poliofolium	F	D	1.5'	Tortoises like it. White blossoms in spring.
SW Coral Bean	Erithrina flabelliformis	F	D	to 10'	Poisonous scarlet beans.
Apache Plume	Fallugia paradoxa	F	A-D	6'	Hedge plant. Fuzzy fruit.
Desert Olive	Forestiera neomexicana	F	D	12'	Fruit great for wildlife.
Ocotillo	Fouquiera splendens	F	D	12'	Vulnerable to overwatering.
Desert Rose-mallow	Hibiscus coulteri	F	D	3'	Nice blossoms. Grows well under larger shrubs.
Rock Hibiscus	Hibiscus denudatus	F	D	2'	Lavender flowers.
Creosote Bush	Larrea tridentate	F	D	6'	Slow growing.
Desert Wolfberry	Lycium andersonii	F	D	6'	Red berries. Great for wildlife.
Mariola	Parthenium incanum	F	D	2'	Evergreen. White blossoms. Tough.
Hoary Rosmarymint	Poliomintha incana	F	D	4'	Excellent fragrance.
Honey Mesquite	Prosopis glandulosa	F	D	25'	Great for shade and wildlife.
Scrub Oak	Quercus turbinella	P	D	8'	Evergreen.
Littleleaf Sumac	Rhus microphylla	F-P	D	8'	Fruit great for wildlife. Deciduous. Can be hedge.
Sugar Sumac	Rhus ovata	F-P	D	10'	Evergreen. More water/shade needed at lower elevations.
New Mexico Locust	Robinia neomexicana Vaquelina californica	F	D	to 15'	Pink blossoms. Seeds may be poisonous.
Arizona Rosewood	Vaquelina californica	F	D	14'	Evergreen.

Arizona and New Mexico Perennials

Common Name	Scientific Name	Sun	Moisture	Height	Comments
Desert Agave	Agave deserti	F	D	1.5'	Forms colonies to 10' diameter. Yellow flowers.
Palmer Agave	Agave palmeri	F-P	D	3'	Flowers to 15' stalk. Hillsides and oak woodland.
Parry's Agave	Agave parryi	P	D	2'	One of the most cold-hardy agave plants.
Antelope Horns	Asclepias asperula	F-P	D-A	8-24"	Clustered pale flowers. Seed pods curve, look like horns.
Purple Aster	Aster bigelovii	F	D	2.5'	Lavender blossoms. Reseeds prolifically.
Desert Bahia	Bahia absinthifolia	F	D	1'	Yellow blossoms.
Desert Spoon	Dasylirion wheeleri	F-P	D	4'	Slow growth.
Showy Fleabane	Erigeron speciosus	S	A	1.5'	Semi-evergreen.
Wright Buckwheat	Eriogonum wrightii	F	D	1.5'	Blooms July - October.
Butterfly Mist	Eupatorium greggii	F-P	A	1.5'	Attracts butterflies.
Snakeweed	Guttierrizia sarothrae	F	D	1.5'	Good groundcover. Yellow blossoms. Tough plant.
Camphorweed	Heterotheca subaxillaris	F	D	5'	Yellow/orange blossoms. Grows well in disturbed areas.
Blue Flax	Linum lewisii	F	D	2'	Vase-shaped with light blue blossoms.
Snapdragon-vine	Maurandya antirrhiniflora	F-P	D	10'	Beautiful blossoming vine. Does well in hanging baskets.
Blackfoot Daisy	Melampodium leucanthum	F-P	D	8"	Attractive to bees, butterflies, birds. Resistant to deer.
Bigelow Nolina	Nolina bigelovii	F	D	8'	Requires well-drained soils.
Tufted Evening Primrose	Oenothera caespitosa	F	A	1'	Showy flower.
Penstemon	Penstemon spp.	F	A	to 3'	Wide variety of flower colors. Attract bees, hummingbirds.
Violet Ruellia	Ruellia nudiflora	S	A	1'	Long, tubular, funnel-shaped flowers.
Lindheimer Senna	Senna lindheimeriana	F-P	D	5'	Yellow flowers, soft green leaves. Resistant to deer.
Goldenrod	Solidago Sparsiflora	P	D	6'	Yellow blossoms.
Globe Mallow	Spharalcea ambigua	F	D	3'	Short-lived, reseeds.
Banana Yucca	Yucca baccata	F	D	4'	Very tough plant.
Soaptree Yucca	Yucca elata	F	D	15'	NM state flower. Light shade ok. Don't cut dead leaves.
Prairie Zinnia	Zinnia grandiflora	F	D	6"	Yellow blossoms.

Arizona and New Mexico Grasses

Common Name	Scientific Name	Sun	Moisture	Height	Comments
Silver Beard Grass	Andropogon saccharoides	F-P	D	2'	Attractive to wildlife. Self-seeds freely.
Purple Threeawn	Aristida purpurea	P	D	1'	Purplish-hued bunchgrass. Good fill-in grass.
Sideoats Grama	Bouteloua curtipendula	F-P	D	2'	Reseeds easily. High forage value.
Blue Grama	Bouteloua gracilis	F-P	D	1.5'	Good erosion control. Great for tortoises.
Hairy Grama	Bouteloua hirsuta	F-P	D	2'	Does well at lower elevations.
Slender Hairgrass	Deschampsia elongata	P	A	2.5'	Blossoms in fall.
Arizona Cottontop	Digitaria californica	F	D	3'	Blooms late summer to fall. Tortoise grass.
Salt Grass	Distichlis stricta	F	A	1'	Salt tolerant. Good greywater plant.
Bottlebrush Squirreltail	Elymus elymoides	P	A	1.5'	Requires more water & shade a lower elevations.
Brittlebrush	Encelia farinose	F	D	3'	Yellow flowers. Vulnerable to overwatering.
Arizona Fescue	Festuca arizonica	F-P	D	2-4'	Fine blades. High forage value.
Curly Mesquite	Hilaria belangeri	F	D	6"	Short sod grass. Prefers loamy soils.
June Grass	Koeleria micrantha	P	A	1'	High forage value. Larger at higher elevations.
Bush-muhly	Muhlenbergia porteri	F	L	3'	Purplish. High forage value. Great for tortoises.
Beargrass	Nolina microcarpa	F-P	D	5'	Handsome flowering clumps.
Vine Mesquite	Panicum obtusum	F-P	A-D	1'	Low, spreading grass.
Switchgrass	Panicum virgatum	F-P	A	3-5'	Large bunchgrass.
Indian Grass	Sorghastrum nutens	P	A	3'	Large bunchgrass.
Alkali Sacaton	Sporobolus airoides	F	D	2'	Small bunchgrass.
Sand Dropseed	Sporobolus cryptandrus	F	D	2-5'	Prefers well-drained soil.

Sun Exposure	Soil Moisture	Drought Tolerance
F = Full Sun	W = Wet	E = Excellent
P = Part Sun	A = Average	G = Good
S = Shade	D = Dry	M = Moderate
		P = Poor

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Native Plant List – Arizona & New Mexico