Southwest Gardener’s Desert Plant Library contains over 140 comprehensive “plant profiles” covering a wide range of popular desert landscape plants.
The information presented in these plant profiles will help you learn how to take better care of the plants you have.
And by using this information before you add a new plant to your landscape, you can determine whether it’s the right plant for the place you have in mind before you buy. The information you find here will ultimately save you time, money, and frustration.
You can search for plants two ways.
Click on the button to “Browse” plants by category.
Or click on the “Drop-down List” to see an alphabetical list of plants by common name.
Desert Flowers
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Angelita daisy (Tetraneuris acaulis)
Arizona milkweed (Asclepias angustifolia)
Arizona poppy (Kallstroemia grandiflora)
Baby sun rose (Mesembryanthemum cordifolium)
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 (Lantana camara)
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)
Sacred datura (Datura wrightii)
Trailing lantana (Lantana montevidensis)
wild sunflower (Helianthus annuus)
Yellow dot (Sphagneticola trilobata)
Desert Grasses
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Bear grass (Nolina microcarpa)*
Big muhly (Muhlenbergia lindheimeri)
Bull grass (Muhlenbergia emersleyi)
Deer grass (Muhlenbergia rigens)
Desert spoon (Dasylirion wheeleri)*
Pink flamingo muhly (Muhlenbergia x ‘Pink Flamingo’)
Hesperaloe (Hesperaloe parviflora)*
Mexican feather grass (Nassella tenuissima)
Mexican grass tree (Dasylirion longissimum)*
Pink muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaries)
Purple fountain grass (Cenchrus setaceus ‘Rubrum’)
Sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula)
* grass-like succulents
Desert Ground Covers
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Angelita daisy (Tetraneuris acaulis)
Baby sun rose (Mesembryanthemum cordifolium)
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 (Lantana camara)
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’)
Pink trumpet vine (Podranea ricasoliana)
Sacred datura (Datura wrightii)
Trailing lantana (Lantana montevidensis)
Yellow dot (Sphagneticola trilobata)
Desert Shrubs
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Arizona rosewood (Vauquelinia californica)
Autumn sage (Salvia greggii)
Baby sage (Salvia microphylla)
Baja fairy duster (Calliandra californica)
Baja spurge (Euphorbia xanti)
Blue bells emu (Eremophila hygrophana)
Blue plumbago (Plumbago auriculata)
Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa)
Cape honeysuckle (Tecoma capensis)
Chuparosa (Justicia californica)
Cleveland sage (Salvia clevelandii)
Creosote (Larrea tridentata)
Desert broom (Baccharis sarothroides)
Dwarf bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis ‘Little John’)
Dwarf pomegranate (Punica granatum ‘Nana’)
Fairy duster (Calliandra eriophylla)
Featherbush (Lysiloma watsonii)
Firecracker bush (Hamelia patens)
Globe mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua)
Guayacan (Guaiacum coulter)
‘Heavenly Cloud’ Texas ranger (Leucophyllum x ‘Heavenly Cloud’)
Hop bush (Dodonaea viscosa)
Indian hawthorne (Rhaphiolepis indica)
Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis)
Knife leaf acacia (Acacia cultriformis)
Lady Banks rose (Rosa banksiae)
Leatherleaf acacia (Acacia craspedocarpa)
Lemon bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus)
Little leaf cordia (Cordia parvifolia)
‘Little Lynn’ Texas ranger (Leucophyllum x ‘Little Lynn’)
Mexican honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera)
Mexican petunia (Ruellia simplex)
Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens)
Oleander (Nerium oleander)
Pink trumpet vine (Podranea ricasoliana)
Pomegranate (Punica granatum)
Purple hop bush (Dodonaea viscosa ‘Purpurea’)
Red bird of paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima)
Red justicia (Dianthera candicans)
Skyflower (Duranta erecta)
Superstition mallow (Abutilon palmeri)
White plumbago (Plumbago auriculata ‘Alba’)
Wolfberry (Lycium fremontii)
Yellow bells (Tecoma stans)
Yellow bird of paradise (Erythrostemon gilliesii)
Woolly butterfly bush (Buddleja marrubiifolia)
Desert Succulents
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Aloe ‘Diablo’ (Aloe divaricata ‘Diablo’)
Artichoke agave (Agave parryi var. truncata)
Bear grass (Nolina microcarpa)
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’)
Giant hesperaloe (Hesperaloe funifera)
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)
Moroccan mound (Euphorbia resinifera)
Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens)
Octopus agave (Agave vilmoriniana)
Sago palm (Cycas revoluta)
Santa Rita prickly pear (Opuntia ‘Santa Rita’)
Soaptree yucca (Yucca elata)
Smooth agave (Agave desmetiana)
Tall slipper plant (Euphorbia bracteata)
Totem pole cactus (Pachycereus schottii f. monstrous)
Twin flowered agave (Agave geminiflora)
Desert Trees
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Arizona ash (Fraxinus velutina)
Cascalote (Tara cacalaco)
Chitalpa (X Chitalpa tashkentensis)
Desert willow ‘Bubba’ (Chilopsis linearis ‘Bubba’)
Featherbush (Lysiloma watsonii)
Fruitless olive (Olea europaea ‘Wilsonii‘)
Ironwood (Olneya tesota)
Leatherleaf acacia (Acacia craspedocarpa)
Lemon bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus)
‘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)
Pomegranate (Punica granatum)
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 Vines
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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)
Pink trumpet vine (Podranea ricasoliana)
Purple hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus)
Purple orchid vine (Mascagnia lilacina)
Queen’s wreath (Antigonon leptopus)
Skyflower (Duranta erecta)
Snail vine (Vigna caracalla)
Star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides)
Tangerine crossvine (Bignonia capreolata ‘Tangerine Beauty’)
Trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans)
Yellow orchid vine (Callaeum macropterum)
Yuca vine (Distimake aureus)
Native Desert Plants
