Southwest Gardener’s Desert Plant Library contains over 100 comprehensive “Plant Profiles” covering a wide range of popular desert landscape plants. You can use this index to jump directly to the profile of any plant you want to learn more about.
Desert Flower List
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Angelita daisy (Tetraneuris acaulis)
Arizona milkweed (Asclepias angustifolia)
Baby sun rose (Aptenia cordifolia)
Blackfoot daisy (Melampodium leucanthum)
Blanket flower (Gaillardia x grandiflora)
Bulbine (Bulbine frutescens)
Bush morning glory (Convolvulus cneorum)
Chocolate flower (Berlandiera lyrata)
Coral fountain (Russelia equisetiformis)
Damianita (Chrysactinia Mexicana)
Desert bluebell (Phacelia campanularia)
Desert marigold (Baileya multiradiata)
Desert milkweed (Asclepias subulata)
Firecracker penstemon (Penstemon eatonii)
Goodding’s verbena (Verbena gooddingii)
Gregg’s mist (Conoclinium greggii)
Jerusalem sage (Phlomis fruticosa)
Lantana ‘Dallas Red’ (Lantana x ‘Dallas Red’)
Lantana ‘New Gold’ (Lantana x ‘New Gold’)
Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus)
Mediterranean carpet (Teucrium majoricum ‘Mediterranean Carpet’)
Mexican evening primrose (Oenothera speciosa)
Mexican petunia (Ruellia simplex)
Myoporum (Myoporum parvifolium)
Outback sunrise emu (Eremophila glabra ‘Mingenew Gold’)
Parry’s penstemon (Penstemon parryi)
Trailing lantana (Lantana montevidensis)
Desert Grass List
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Big muhly (Muhlenbergia lindheimeri)
Bull grass (Muhlenbergia emersleyi)
Deer grass (Muhlenbergia rigens)
Mexican feather grass (Nassella tenuissima)
Pink muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaries)
Purple fountain grass (Cenchrus setaceus ‘Rubrum’)
Sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula)
Desert Ground Cover List
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Angelita daisy (Tetraneuris acaulis)
Baby sun rose (Aptenia cordifolia)
Beavertail prickly pear (Opuntia basilaris)
Blackfoot daisy (Melampodium leucanthum)
Blue elf aloe (Aloe x ‘Blue Elf’)
Bulbine (Bulbine frutescens)
Bush morning glory (Convolvulus cneorum)
Candelilla (Euphorbia antisyphilitica)
Cape honeysuckle (Tecoma capensis)
Coral fountain (Russelia equisetiformis)
Damianita (Chrysactinia Mexicana)
Elephant food (Portulacaria afra)
Goodding’s verbena (Verbena gooddingii)
Gopher plant (Euphorbia rigida)
Gregg’s mist (Conoclinium greggii)
Lantana ‘Dallas Red’ (Lantana x ‘Dallas Red’)
Lantana ‘New Gold’ (Lantana x ‘New Gold’)
Mediterranean carpet (Teucrium majoricum ‘Mediterranean Carpet’)
Mexican evening primrose (Oenothera speciosa)
Myoporum (Myoporum parvifolium)
Outback sunrise emu (Eremophila glabra ‘Mingenew Gold’)
Trailing lantana (Lantana montevidensis)
Desert Shrub List
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Arizona rosewood (Vauquelinia californica)
Autumn sage (Salvia greggii)
Baja fairy duster (Calliandra californica)
Baja spurge (Euphorbia xanti)
Blue bells emu (Eremophila hygrophana)
Blue plumbago (Plumbago auriculata)
Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa)
Bush morning glory (Convolvulus cneorum)
Cape honeysuckle (Tecoma capensis)
Desert broom (Baccharis sarothroides)
Dwarf bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis ‘Little John’)
Fairy duster (Calliandra eriophylla)
Globe mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua)
Heavenly Cloud (Leucophyllum x ‘Heavenly Cloud’)
Hop bush (Dodonaea viscosa)
Indian hawthorne (Rhaphiolepis indica)
Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis)
Lady Banks rose (Rosa banksiae)
Leatherleaf acacia (Acacia craspedocarpa)
Little leaf cordia (Cordia parvifolia)
Mexican honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera)
Mexican petunia (Ruellia simplex)
Oleander (Nerium oleander)
Dwarf pomegranate (Punica granatum ‘Nana’)
Purple hop bush (Dodonaea viscosa ‘Purpurea’)
Red bird of paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima)
Skyflower (Duranta erecta)
White plumbago (Plumbago auriculata ‘Alba’)
Yellow bells (Tecoma stans)
Yellow bird of paradise (Erythrostemon gilliesii)
Desert Succulent List
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Artichoke agave (Agave parryi var. truncata)
Baja spurge (Euphorbia xanti)
Beavertail prickly pear (Opuntia basilaris)
Blue elf aloe (Aloe x ‘Blue Elf’)
Blue flame agave (Agave x ‘blue flame’)
Blue glow agave (Agave x ‘blue glow’)
Bulbine (Bulbine frutescens)
Candelilla (Euphorbia antisyphilitica)
Desert spoon (Dasylirion wheeleri)
Elephant food (Portulacaria afra)
Firesticks (Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Sticks on Fire’)
Golden barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii)
Gopher plant (Euphorbia rigida)
Hesperaloe (Hesperaloe parviflora)
Lady slipper (Euphorbia lomelii)
Mexican fence post (Lophocereus marginatus)
Mexican grass tree (Dasylirion longissimum)
Sago palm (Cycas revoluta)
Santa Rita prickly pear (Opuntia ‘Santa Rita’)
Soaptree yucca (Yucca elata)
Smooth agave (Agave desmetiana)
Totem pole cactus (Pachycereus schottii f. monstrous)
Twin flowered agave (Agave geminiflora)
Desert Tree List
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Arizona ash (Fraxinus velutina)
Cascalote (Tara cacalaco)
Chitalpa (X Chitalpa tashkentensis)
Desert willow ‘Bubba’ (Chilopsis linearis ‘Bubba’)
Fruitless olive (Olea europaea ‘Wilsonii‘)
Leatherleaf acacia (Acacia craspedocarpa)
‘Leslie Roy’ mesquite (Prosopis x ‘Leslie Roy’)
Mediterranean fan palm (Chamaerops humilis)
Mexican bird of paradise (Erythrostemon mexicanus)
Mexican redbud (Cercis canadensis var. mexicana)
Mulga (Acacia aneura)
Palo blanco (Mariosousa willardiana)
Red push pistache (Pistacia x ‘Red Push’)
Sago palm (Cycas revoluta)
Soaptree yucca (Yucca elata)
Sweet acacia (Vachellia farnesiana)
Texas ebony (Ebenopsis ebano)
Texas mountain laurel (Dermatophyllum secundiflorum)
Texas olive (Cordia boissieri)
Desert Vine List
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Cape honeysuckle (Tecoma capensis)
Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)
Cat’s claw (Dolichandra unguis-cati)
Lady Banks rose (Rosa banksiae)
Lilac vine (Hardenbergia violacea)
Purple hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus)
Purple orchid vine (Mascagnia lilacina)
Queen’s wreath (Antigonon leptopus)
Skyflower (Duranta erecta)
Snail vine (Vigna caracalla)
Tangerine crossvine (Bignonia capreolata ‘Tangerine Beauty’)
Yellow orchid vine (Callaeum macropterum)