New Mexico provides beautiful landscapes from deserts and grasslands to piñon-juniper and ponderosa pine woodlands to the high elevation aspen and evergreen forests. More than 4,000 species of plants native to New Mexico grow in its diverse environments. Selecting native plants for the garden helps to integrate our landscapes with our surroundings using plants well adapted to the local climate. Their roots help to hold soils in place and their leaves provide shade. Native plants are part of the food web that sustains local pollinators, birds, and other animals. Your yard can make a difference to local wildlife whether you grow milkweed to support monarch butterflies or a late flowering Penstemon to re-fuel migrating hummingbirds.
Monarda fistulosa var. menthifolia • 1 • bee balm, wild bergmot
Mint leaved bergamot grows a little over two feet tall and bears clusters of lavender flowers at the end of each stem during the summer. Typically, you can find it in pine forests from 3,000-8,000 feet. It will thrive in a part-shade location with moderate water in the garden. Bees and butterflies find the flowers very attractive, and the strong scented leaves keep the plant somewhat safe from rabbits.
Penstemon eatonii • 2 • Eaton's firecracker, firecracker penstemon, Eaton's beardtongue
This short-lived perennial penstemon reseeds readily. Bright red, tubular flowers attract hummingbirds in spring and early summer, and leathery evergreen foliage looks good even when the plant isn’t flowering. Found on brushy slopes to 7500 feet, it is a great drought-tolerant plant for the garden in well drained, poor soil areas.
Penstemon strictus • 3 • Rocky Mountain penstemon
The dark purple flowers of Rocky Mountain penstemon flower early in summer on stems reaching three feet in height, and the foliage provides an evergreen mat. Found in grasslands, desert scrub, piñon-juniper and oak forests of northwestern New Mexico, this easy to grow perennial is wonderful in many garden types preferring well drained soils and part shade. It is a host plant for the variable checkerspot butterfly.
Gaillardia aristata • 4 • blanketflower
Widely grown as a garden plant, in the wild you can find blanketflower growing from subarctic Canada south to the Mexican border in open areas as well as among sagebrush and in pine and aspen forests. It is one of the more perennial blanketflowers and will self-sow. The petals are yellow, often with a reddish base, and the flowers attract pollinators. Look closely and you might see a cryptic moth, Schinia masoni, blending colors with the ray flowers. If deadheaded, the plants will bloom from June to frost.
Oenothera cespitosa • 5 • tufted evening primrose, stemless evening primrose, fragrant evening primrose
Commonly found in western North America in a wide range of habitats from piñon-juniper woodlands to open hillsides, this stemless (or “tufted” from caespitose) primrose features large white flowers that turn pink with age. The flowers bloom from spring through summer, opening shortly after sunset and fading the following day. The flowers attract hawk moths and sphinx moths, and it is a host plant for the white-lined sphinx moth.
Phlox nana • 6 • Santa Fe phlox
In summer, this low growing, drought tolerant perennial is covered in bright pink tubular, five-lobed flowers, which attract butterflies and bees. The ripe seeds explode from the seed pods, making them hard to collect. This plant is found throughout much of New Mexico growing on rocky slopes, in woodlands, and along roadsides.
Agastache cana • 7 • hummingbird mint, hyssop, double bubblemint
One of the “hummingbird mints”, A. cana has dense spikes of rose-pink tubular flowers in summer, attractive to hummingbirds. The leaves and flowers have a sweet scent. In the wild this species is only found in southern New Mexico and western Texas in rocky canyons and cliffs, and it is considered a New Mexico rare plant. Grows best in full sun with well drained, poor soils.
Penstemon jamesii • 8 • James' penstemon, James' beardtongue
Widespread in the eastern plains of New Mexico, this penstemon grows to 18 inches tall with lavender-blue to pink flowers in early summer. Grows best in well drained soils with good spring moisture. The species is named for Dr. Edwin P. James, a botanist on the Long Expedition of 1820 to the front range of the Colorado Rockies.
Penstemon pinifolius • 9 • pineleaf penstemon
This petite, evergreen penstemon can form large mounds less than a foot tall. It is most often found above 5000 feet in piñon-juniper and Ponderosa pine forests. In summer the plants are covered for weeks with small bright red flowers attractive to hummingbirds.
Eriogonum jamesii • 10 • antelope sage
Also named for Dr. James, this species typically grows in neat mounds on dry, rocky slopes from 5,000-8,000 feet. Its long lasting flowers begin to bloom as early as June and the flowers last into the fall. The cream colored flowers turn shades of pink and red as they form winged fruits called achenes. The flowers attract many pollinators.
Atriplex canescens • 11 • fourwing saltbush, cenizo, chamere, chamizo
This tough, drought-tolerant shrub grows 4 to 5 feet tall with dense branches. It is named for its tolerance of salty soils and winged seeds, found on female plants. Plants can change sex depending on environmental conditions. The seeds provide food for birds and small mammals, and the shrubs are browsed by deer and antelope.
Forestiera pubescens var. parvifolia • 12 • New Mexico privet, New Mexico olive
A lovely tall shrub or small tree, it grows in canyons and on dry rocky slopes throughout the Southwest. Male plants have showier clusters of tiny yellow flowers in spring, but female plants produce fruits that turn dark blue-black and feed birds and small mammals. It is a host plant for hairstreak butterflies and a nectar source for many pollinators.
Penstemon rostriflorus • 13 • Bridges' penstemon, beaked penstemon
This relatively long-lived penstemon forms a woody base and has a bushy appearance. The flowers and stems have sticky, glandular hairs. Red flowers bloom summer into early fall, attracting hummingbirds and providing a late season nectar source. It is a host plant for the variable checkerspot butterfly. Found at mid-elevations in piñon-juniper and Ponderosa forests.
Ratibida columnifera • 14 • prairie coneflower, Mexican Hat
Brightly colored yellow to dark red flowers bloom in summer attracting pollinators, and the seeds formed attract goldfinches. Prairie coneflowers grow in grasslands and pinyon juniper forests across western North America. With their long taproots, plants tolerate drought and prefer full sun. It is a good plant for naturalizing as it reseeds readily.
Sorghastrum nutans • 15 • Indian grass
Indian grass grows in grasslands, scrublands, and savannahs with moderate moisture. This tall, clumping grass has strong roots to hold soil and ornamental golden plumes of flowers and seeds. The seeds are eaten by birds and small mammals.
Oenothera coronopifolia • 16 • crownleaf evening primrose, cut-leaf evening primrose
Usually found on dry slopes from 5,000-9,000 feet, this perennial grows 1-2 feet tall and often forms small colonies. Large white flowers bloom in the evening. The species name ‘coronopifolia’ refers to the deeply cut leaves of the plant from Latin ‘corona’ or crown, or from Greek ‘coron’, possibly referring to a raven’s foot.
Berlandiera lyrata • 17 • chocolate flower, chocolate daisy
When the yellow and brown flowers of chocolate daisy are in bloom, pause to take a deep sniff! The scent is strongest in the early morning as the flowers first open at night. Plants flower from spring into fall and grow to about 1 foot tall. Unlike most plants in the sunflower family, the yellow ray flowers produce the seeds rather than the brown disc flowers. Overlapping flattened seeds provide additional ornamental interest and the plants will self seed. It occurs in sunny areas from 4,000-7,000 feet and is tolerant of poor, dry soils.
Penstemon secundiflorus • 18 • sidebells penstemon
Pink to lavender flowers bloom on two foot tall stalks emerging from a base of blue-green leaves. Older plants may have dozens of flowering stems attractive to hummingbirds. Native to the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains, this penstemon prefers rocky, well drained soils and full sun.
Rhus trilobata • 19 • threeleaf sumac, squawbush, skunk bush, lemonade berry, lemita
This neat, densely branched shrub is most often found in canyons and mesas among piñon-juniper or Ponderosa forests. Plants produce clusters of small yellow flowers in spring, and female plants produce little clusters of citrusy fruits that turn bright red in late summer. Leaves turn beautiful shades of yellow to red in fall. The fruits provide food for many upland game birds, songbirds, and large and small mammals. A strong taproot and many fibrous roots also make this a valuable shrub for erosion control on hillsides.
Yucca baccata • 20 • banana yucca, dátil
Named for the shape of its fruits, but also known around the garden as "shin dagger” or “butt dagger”, a feature common to many yuccas. Bluish-green, spine-tipped leaves form a rosette up to 3 feet tall. Yuccas are pollinated by yucca moths, and the fruits are eaten by many animals, including people. This common yucca can be found from grasslands to forests up to 8,000 feet. Higher elevation yuccas tend to be more cold-tolerant.
Achillea millefolium • 21 • western yarrow, common yarrow
This spreading plant can be aggressive in the garden, but it is easy to grow in sun or part shade and its white flowers attract many pollinators. The aromatic, fern-like leaves grow on stems that can reach 3 feet tall. It is a host plant for painted lady butterflies. You can find this plant along roadsides, streamsides, and in meadows and forests.
Penstemon barbatus • 22 • scarlet bugler, scarlet penstemon, beard lip penstemon, pichelitos, jarritos
One of the most common penstemons, you can find it growing anywhere from 4000-10,000 feet in open areas and in open forests. The scarlet flowers blooming along two to three foot stems attract hummingbirds. The name ‘barbatus’ comes from the yellow or white hairs in the throat of the flower. You can grow this plant in part shade in well-drained soils.
Amorpha canescens • 23 • lead plant
This one to three foot tall shrub has somewhat sprawling branches. As a member of the pea family, it fixes nitrogen and does well even in poor soils. Its tough roots hold soil so well that settlers called it Devil’s shoestrings. In New Mexico, it most commonly occurs in the grasslands of the northeastern part of the state. In June and July it has lovely spikes of dark purple flowers with golden anthers, attractive to many pollinators, followed by small seed pods. The grey-green fern-like foliage provides food for southern dogface and gray hairstreak butterfly caterpillars.
Shepherdia argentea • 24 • silver buffaloberry
This silvery-leaved shrub thrives with some additional moisture along streams and in canyon bottoms, but it is very drought tolerant and can be found along open slopes and in meadows as well. The stiff branches can reach 20 feet in height and are often tipped with a short thorn. That is not enough to deter mule deer and elk from browsing. Separate male and female plants flower in early spring attracting pollinators, and female plants produce bright red fruits eaten by many birds, including grouse and cedar waxwings. Because it can form thickets, the shrubs are often used for windbreaks and erosion control.
Penstemon cardinalis • 25 • cardinal penstemon, cardinal beardtongue
Only occurring in the chaparral and lower elevation pine forests in the mountains of southern New Mexico and Texas, this penstemon is grown in the nursery trade for its drought tolerance and deep red flowers. The flowers grow on stems reaching 3 feet and attract hummingbirds. P. cardinalis ssp. cardinalis is considered a rare plant in New Mexico.
Zinnia grandiflora • 26 • prairie zinnia
This petite plant is often covered with cheerful yellow flowers all summer, attracting many pollinators. It spreads to form small colonies and is useful for erosion control on dry, sunny slopes. Small needle-like leaves form a green mat when the plant is not in flower. It is common throughout New Mexico on dry slopes and flats at elevations from 3000 – 7500 feet.
Mirabilis multiflora • 27 • four o'clock
The Latin name translates as “marvelous multi-flowered plant”. Magenta pink flowers open in the afternoon and are pollinated by hawkmoths. Plants bloom spring through summer, especially after rains. When the flowers are closed the plant forms an attractive mound with thick dark green leaves on stems reaching about 2 feet tall with sprawling stems that can reach 6 feet. This tap-rooted plant can be found from low deserts up to piñon-juniper forests in sun to part shade.
Ribes cereum • 28 • wax currant, squaw currant
Growing three to six feet tall, this compact shrub features small, tubular white to pink flowers in spring followed by orange to bright red fruits in the fall. The fruits are attractive to birds and small mammals. It is found in a range of open shrub to woodland habitats up to 13,000 feet in elevation. The small, shallowly lobed leaves have a spicy fragrance and good fall color.
Scabrethia scabra • 29 • mule's ears, badlands mule's ears
Growing in open areas in grasslands and piñon-juniper woodlands in northern New Mexico from 3,000-6,000 feet, this woody perennial is tough as a mule, preferring full sun and poor soils. The name mule’s ears probably came from the rough, hairy leaves though which form a neat plant that grows to about 2 feet tall. Large, bright yellow, daisy-like flowers bloom from spring into fall. Bear, deer, elk and birds will eat the flowers and seeds.
Ericameria nauseosa • 30 • rubber rabbitbrush, chamisa
Perhaps the most recognized shrub in Santa Fe, rubber rabbitbrush or chamisa grows in open, sunny areas up to 8,000 feet. Narrow grey green leaves grow from whitish stems usually reaching four to seven feet tall. Large clusters of small golden-yellow flowers with a musky, sweet scent bloom atop each stem in late summer into autumn. The flowers are an important late-season nectar and pollen source for pollinators. Shrubs are browsed by mule deer, pronghorns, and jack rabbits. The seeds are wind dispersed. Deep tap roots help to recycle nutrients in soil.
Bouteloua gracilis • 31 • blue grama, mosquito grass, navajita común, grama, navajita común, grama
This warm season (green in summer), low growing bunchgrass is one of the most common grasses in New Mexico, growing in a wide range of habitats from 4000-10,000 feet. The fine leaf blades grow to 6 inches long and the flowering stalk is held a few inches above the leaves. The flowers are arranged in a horizontal spike like a comb that curls as it matures. Its deep, fibrous root system makes it drought tolerant and useful for erosion control. At higher elevations this grass is more likely to spread by rhizomes to form low mats.
Bouteloua dactyloides • 32 • buffalo grass, hierba búfalo, zacate búfalo
Similar to blue grama, buffalo grass is a short perennial grass seldom reaching more than 6 inches in height. It spreads to form a mat via horizontal stems. It is most commonly found in eastern New Mexico’s dry shortgrass plains. Boutelouas are important forage grasses for wildlife and they are host plants for skipper butterflies.
Thelesperma megapotamicum • 33 • Navajo tea, Hopi tea greenthread, cota
This drought-tolerant perennial in the aster family grows most commonly in grasslands and on disturbed soils from 4,000-7,000 feet, preferring full sun. Small golden yellow puffs of disc flowers bloom from spring into fall atop wiry stems that can reach 3 feet in height. Sometimes the plant is called greenthread after its very narrow leaves. The name ‘megapotanicum’ comes from the Greek ‘mega’, large and ‘potanic’, river, perhaps because it is found along the Rio Grande.
Eriocoma hymenoides • 34 • Indian ricegrass, Indian millet
This perennial bunchgrass with narrow leaves thrives in dry, sunny areas on sandy soils and can be found from 3500 – 6500 feet elevation. It blooms in the spring with a cloud of small flowers held aloft on one to two foot tall stems. The stems and seeds turn golden during the summer. It is named ricegrass for the nutritious seeds, eaten by people, birds, and other small animals. The grass is also grazed by deer, antelope, and cattle. The fine roots are good for erosion control.
Rhus trilobata 'Autumn Amber' • 35 • 'Autumn Amber' sumac
This almost prostrate form of three leaf sumac seldom reaches more than two feet tall and is useful as a groundcover. It can cover an area of 6 – 8 feet. The leaves turn a beautiful amber color in fall.
Fallugia paradoxa • 36 • Apache plume, ponil
The five petal white flowers hint that this plant is in the rose family, but the fruits are a cluster of achenes with feathery purple to white styles that form the plume. Growing in open areas with well drained soils from 3500-8,000 feet, this is a beautiful drought tolerant shrub for sunny areas. The flowers attract bees and butterflies and bloom through the summer if moisture is available. The foliage is grazed by some mammals and provides good cover for wildlife, and birds will eat the seeds.
Senecio spartioides • 37 • broom groundsel, broom-like ragwort, manyheaded groundsel
This widespread, tough plant can be found in disturbed areas and on hillsides. Many stems emerge from a woody base. Sunny yellow flowers with five narrow ray petals bloom through the summer atop three foot tall stems, attracting many pollinators. White puffs of seeds are dispersed by wind.
Linum perenne • 38 • perennial flax, blue flax
This species is not native, but is very similar to the native Linum lewisii. Both are good garden plants, easy to grow in well drained soils with moderate moisture. Their pale blue flowers bloom spring to fall and if not cut back they form ornamental seed capsules and will self-seed. They are pollinated mostly by bees and flies, the seeds are eaten by birds, and the foliage is eaten by elk, deer and antelopes but not by ground squirrels.
Salvia azurea • 39 • azure blue sage, blue sage, pitcher sage
Found in grasslands as well as in woodland gaps and edges, this native requires low nutrient soils and moderate to dry soils. In late summer, spikes of sky-blue flowers bloom on stems that can reach five feet in height. The flowers provide late season nectar and pollen for bumblebees and butterflies. The grey-green foliage is aromatic.
Oenothera pallida • 40 • pale evening primrose
Large, white, four-petaled flowers open at dusk spring through fall attracting hawkmoths and bees. After pollination, the flowers turn pink. The flowers are held on stems that can reach anywhere from 4 inches to 2.5 feet tall. Leaves are grey-green and form a rosette before the plant flowers. Leaves are prone to flea beetle damage. Typically found in sandy soils in full sun, up to 8,000 feet.
Artemisia filifolia • 41 • threadleaf sage, sand sagebrush
Slender stems with narrow silvery leaves give this small two to four foot shrub a light, feathery appearance. Found in sandy grassland and dune soils, its fibrous root system makes it useful for erosion control. Inconspicuous, pale yellow, wind pollinated flowers bloom throughout the summer. The shrubs can provide important habitat for lesser prairie chickens and quail and are occasionally browsed by mule deer.
Quercus muehlenbergii • 42 • chinkapin oak, chinquapin oak
More common in the eastern and central United States, there are populations of chinkapin oak in the mountains of southeastern New Mexico. This oak can grow 50-80 feet tall and has dark green lobed leaves with a pale underside. It is well adapted to high pH soils and full sun. Oaks are host plants to numerous moths and butterflies and the acorns provide food for turkey, chipmunks, squirrels, deer and many other animals.
Amelanchier utahensis • 43 • Utah serviceberry
Growing as a small tree or large shrub, you can find Utah serviceberry on rocky slopes in piñon-juniper and Ponderosa pine woodlands up to 7500 feet. Small clusters of white flowers bloom in spring, followed by edible, small purple fruit. Small oval grey-green leaves turn bright colors in fall. There is a spectacular specimen growing on Rt. 285 near Lamy in a hot, south-facing median.
Yucca faxoniana • 44 • Faxon yucca, Eve's needle, Spanish dagger, Spanish bayonet, palma de san pedro
This slow growing yucca becomes tree-like in age with its trunk cloaked in dead leaves that insulate and protect it. It is native to southeastern New Mexico growing on desert plains and rocky hillsides in full sun. It needs some protection here in zone 6. It is a host plant for the yucca giant skipper, and the huge panicles of white flowers attract butterflies and moths. Deer and small mammals feed on the fruits and seeds. Be sure to buy nursery grown plants rather than wild-collected ones.
Nolina microcarpa • 45 • beargrass, palmilla, sotol chiquito, sacahuista
Looking like something between a grass and a yucca, beargrass is in the Asparagus family! From a three to four foot fountain of narrow leaves with serrated edges, a six foot flowering stalk emerges in spring. Hundreds of tiny white flowers form a plume, pollinated mostly by bees and beetles. Female plants form papery seed capsules. Found mostly in southwestern New Mexico, beargrass grows on hillsides and in piñon-juniper forests up to about 6,000 feet.
Penstemon pseudospectabilis • 46 • desert penstemon
Desert penstemon grows in the southwestern mountains of New Mexico in piñon-juniper and Ponderosa pine forests. Bright pink to rose purple flowers bloom in spring and intermittently in summer attracting hummingbirds. The stems of this bushy plant reach 2 – 3 feet in height.
Argemone pleiacantha • 47 • southwestern pricklypoppy, cardo, chicalote
The stems, leaves, and fruits of this poppy are covered in small spines, and if that does not deter predators, the plant also has a sticky yellow poisonous sap. Plants are difficult to establish, but worth the repeated effort for the showy 3 -5” diameter white flowers with yellow centers that bloom in spring and summer attracting numerous pollinators. Most commonly found in the southern part of New Mexico in sunny areas with dry, well-drained soils up to about 7500 feet.
Dalea purpurea • 48 • purple prairie clover
This nitrogen-fixing member of the pea family grows in grasslands up to 7500 feet. Cylindrical spikes of purple flowers bloom in summer atop stems that can reach three feet in height. The tiny flowers bloom sequentially from the base of the spike to the tip for more than a month, attracting bees and butterflies. Several plasterer bees are specialists on Dalea. The nutritious foliage feeds many animals as well. A deep woody taproot helps the plant through droughts.
Quercus gambelii • 49 • Gambel oak, roble de Gambel
The most common oak species in New Mexico, Gambel oak typically grows from 4,000 – 10,000 feet, often in association with Ponderosa pines. Wind pollinated catkins bloom in spring followed by small acorns that are eaten by many animals. The lobed leaves turn beautiful colors in fall from yellow to deep red. Trees are often multi-trunked and reach a height of 10-30 feet. It is a larval host plant for the Colorado hairstreak butterfly among others.