The best native plants for New Mexico include trees that can grow at variable heights like the common juniper, plants that can survive the desert heat such as cactus and artichoke agave, flowers like Indian blankets, and florals that are functional and decorative, like switchgrass.
With a climate as variable as New Mexico, which is mild, dry, and semi-dry, but also includes the colder mountainous areas, it’s always good to use native plants in your home landscape.
Live in the Albuquerque area? We also have a detailed look at the 12 Best Native Plants for Albuquerque Landscapes.
Trees native to New Mexico
Eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
Eastern cottonwood leaves are golden in the fall, brightening up landscapes late in the season. The foliage makes a soothing rustling sound when the wind blows. Upright limbs form a vase-like shape that provides great shade. Eastern Cottonwood grows quickly but is short-lived. If you don’t like the cottony seeds the female produces in the spring, you can plant a male tree.
This perennial is great for homeowners with spacious landscapes, and the tree grows well throughout the state. It grows in all soil types, and thrives at elevations of 2,500 to 7,000 feet. This shade tree attracts butterflies and birds.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 9
- Life cycle: Deciduous perennial
- Sun: Full sun, partial shade, full shade
- Water needs: High
- Soil: Prefers moist soils; sandy, loam, clay
- Mature height: Up to about 180 feet tall, often much shorter
Chokecherry (Prunus Virginiana)
This perennial has dark green, glossy leaves and white flowers that bloom from April through July. Chokecherry’s habitat includes the edges of roadsides, stream banks, and woods. This native plant adds delicious treats to landscapes. The berries are used to make jelly. When eaten raw, the berries have a bitter taste that causes the lips to pucker, and this is how this deciduous flora received its name.
Chokecherry can be grown as a tree or a shrub; it grows up to 30 feet. It lives for about 25 years.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 2-7
- Life cycle: Perennial
- Sun: Full sun to full shade
- Water needs: Medium, Drought tolerant
- Soil: Moist limestone-based, sand, loam, clay
- Mature height: 30 feet
Common juniper (Juniperus communis)
You’ll see common juniper growing in damp but well-drained soils beneath evergreen forest canopies. However, its adaptability means it grows in various soil types, requires little water, grows well in full sun, and tolerates shade. The small dark berries feed humans, birds, and mammals. The purple treats that develop in the summer are used in stews and to spice up meat dishes.
Plant common juniper on sloped areas for stabilization. Use it as a border or specimen plant. It is perfect for properties at elevations of 8,000 to 11,500 feet.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 2-6
- Life cycle: Evergreen
- Sun: Full sun
- Water Needs: Low to moderate
- Soil: All; moist but well-drained
- Mature Height: 5 to 25 feet
Desert plants native to New Mexico
Artichoke agave (Agave parryi v. truncata)
Artichoke agave will spice up a xeriscape design with its thick, blue-gray foliage that forms a rosette pattern. The summer blossoms attract pollinators like butterflies, birds, and hummingbirds.
The spikes at the leaf edges are a rusty red and add visual variety and texture. Although the spikes are prickly, if you’re like me, and have no children, you’ll love how this cactus adds a unique flare to your yard. Or, if you have safety concerns, you can always plant artichoke agave in an area that is against a wall or porch and bordered with bricks, stones, or a small fence, or an area that receives no foot traffic.
Once every 10 years, artichoke agave grows a stalk that reaches 15 to 20 feet tall. Golden flowers blossom from the red buds that develop at the top of the stem. The tree-like stalk is a sign that the agave plant is near the end of its lifespan.
This desert plant is drought-tolerant and grows well in rock gardens and as a container plant. It is ideal for a water-wise landscape.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zone: 8-12
- Life cycle: Evergreen perennial
- Sun: Full sun
- Water needs: Drought-tolerant; does not require water outside of natural rainfall
- Soil: Dry, rocky or sandy soil
- Mature size: 1-3 feet tall and 2-4 feet wide
Desert mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua)
Desert mallow grows natively in desert chaparral environments like the Sonoran Desert and Mojave Desert. The deeply orange-colored, bowl-shaped petals blossom in the spring and off and on year-round. Fuzzy leaves grow white hairs on both sides. Hummingbirds and butterflies are attracted to this perennial.
Desert mallow grows fast. For best results, prune after it blooms. Plant this shrub as a decorative border.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zone: 6-9
- Life cycle: Perennial
- Sun: Full sun
- Water needs: Low
- Soil: Dry, rocky, or sandy soils
- Mature height: 3 to 4 feet
Desert willow (Chilopsis linearis)
Desert willows are naturally located in sandy areas of desert foothills. The petals come in a lovely lavender and more deeply purple color. Some petals are a white-lavenderish hue. This tree or large shrub is heat and drought-tolerant, so it is built for desert areas.
Pollinating insects eat desert willow seeds, and hummingbirds are attracted to the flowers. Birds use the shrub to nest. This perennial makes a great patio specimen.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zone: 7-11
- Life cycle: Deciduous Perennial
- Sun: Full sun
- Water needs: Drought-tolerant; does not require water outside of natural rainfall
- Soil: Adaptable; prefers well-drained limestone soil; tolerates sand, loam, clay, caliche, granitic, or rocky soils
- Mature size: 15-30 feet tall and 10-20 feet wide
Flowers native to New Mexico
Indian blanket (Gaillardia pulchella)
This remarkable flower has a two-toned center that looks like a large button. Petals are a reddish hue and yellow at the tips. The flower comes in shades of yellows, oranges, and reds. Indian blanket is a head turner as it grows along roadsides.
Butterflies and bees are attracted to this low-maintenance flower. But it is an annual plant, so you’ll have to replant it yearly to enjoy its lovely two-toned features and scent, which ranges from licorice to bubblegum, depending on habitat.
Plant this flower in your beds and enjoy its long blooming season, from early summer to fall.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 9
- Life cycle: Flowering annual
- Sun: Full sun
- Water needs: Water daily during germination. Then after blooms appear, you may water once or twice a week when the ground dries out.
- Soil: Poor soils, slightly acidic, well-drained soil.
- Mature height: 1.5 to 2 feet
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
Black-eyed Susan grows naturally in pastures, on prairies, and at the edge of woodlands. This daisy-look-alike flower has bright yellow petals and a dark brown center. Some blossoms are a reddish color closer to the center. Butterflies, birds, and pollinators are attracted to black-eyed Susan.
This New Mexico native is drought tolerant once established. Although she prefers full sun, she may bloom longer if she receives shade in the afternoon. This sunny garden addition looks great in flower beds and borders.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 9
- Life cycle: Depending on growing conditions can act as a biennial, annual, or short-lived perennial
- Sun: Full sun
- Water needs: Medium. It has moderate drought tolerance
- Soil: Clay, sand, loam, acidic, moist, well-drained
- Mature height: 1 to 3 feet.
Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
Fields, ditches, wet meadows, and arid, open forests are some of the wild bergamot’s habitats. Also called bee balm, this flora is one of the best native pollinator plants in New Mexico. Bee balm attracts several pollinators, like small and large bees and bumble bees, and the lavender tubular flowers are a vibrant addition to any yard.
Wild bergamot is also an excellent choice because its aroma deters deer. But the minty and oregano-ish smell is a pleasant fragrance for homeowners.
It’s interesting to note that wild bergamot’s essential oil naturally repels many types of mosquitoes. The plant has also been used medicinally. Parts were used many years ago to treat colds, heart trouble, and insomnia.
Wild bergamot requires little irrigation once established, making it perfect for New Mexico’s driest areas.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 9
- Life cycle: Perennial
- Sun: Full sun or partial shade
- Water Needs: Natural rainfall should be sufficient; withstands dry soil for a while
- Soil: Shallow, rocky soil or clay that’s moist, well-drained, or dry-ish
- Mature Height: 2 to 4 feet
Butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Butterfly milkweed attracts small bees and butterflies. The petals on these yellow flowers with a hint of red grow upward as if reaching for the sky. In different locations, blooms come in other colors, like orange.
This wildflower emits a sweet, vanilla scent. You’ll see this milkweed brightly standing out in its natural habitat on hillsides, open woods, and prairies.
Butterfly milkweed is relatively pest-resistant and drought-tolerant. It is an eye-catching perennial that is low maintenance and works well in New Mexico’s hot and dry weather.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 3-9
- Life cycle: Perennial
- Sun: Full sun
- Water Needs: Low
- Soil: Clay, loam, sandy; well-drained
- Mature Height: 1 to 2 feet
Shrubs native to New Mexico
Creeping mahonia (Mahonia repens)
This evergreen shrub has tiny yellow flowers that bloom from late spring to summer. The dark green leaves turn orangish-red in the fall. Creeping mahonia’s purplish berries are large and look like exotic grapes. This sweet-smelling plant naturally lives in northwestern New Mexico at some of the highest elevations.
The state’s winter sun and dry breezes can burn creeping mahonia’s leaves, so watch out for damage. This plant makes a delightful groundcover in partially shady areas.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 to 8
- Life cycle: Evergreen
- Sun: Full sun to partial shade
- Water Needs: Moderate
- Soil: Prefers a moist yet well-drained chalk, loam, or sandy soil with an acidic or neutral pH balance
- Mature Height: 1 to 2 feet
Big sagebrush (Artemisia Tridentata)
Big sagebrush is another northwestern New Mexico native. Plant this perennial to fill a space quickly and with as few plants as possible. It not only grows up to 10 feet tall but it also spreads up to 10 feet wide. Give big sagebrush ample irrigation and locate it in deep soil to encourage rapid growth.
Homeowners love the purplish bark and the gray-toothed foliage that emits a sweet smell. Many also like this shrub because it adapts to a variety of growing conditions.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 4-9
- Life cycle: Evergreen perennial
- Sun: Full sun
- Water needs: Medium, Drought-tolerant
- Soil: Dry, rocky soil
- Mature height: 6-10 feet
Vine native to New Mexico
Common hops (Humulus lupulus)
This plant prefers to live by riverbanks and streambanks. It grows statewide. You may have seen common hops, also called New Mexican hops, growing in the Jemez or Gila. This perennial is very drought-tolerant and disease-resistant.
The vine is a great addition to a vertical garden. It grows quickly and the yellow-green flowers on male varieties are a lovely sight as common hops wind around and grow up structures, like a trellis or wall. Butterflies are drawn to the citrus-pine aroma the flowers emit. Although common hops die to the ground in the winter, they re-emerge in the spring.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 4-8
- Life cycle: Perennial
- Sun: Full sun/partial shade.
- Water needs: Clematis needs one inch of water per week once established.
- Soil: Prefers average, moist, well-drained soils.
- Mature height: 18-25 feet. (Hops can grow up to a foot each day!)
Grasses and groundcover native to New Mexico
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)
Switchgrass loves environments like moist meadows, plains, and roadsides. It also grows in dry conditions, such as gravel bars. This perennial is versatile when it comes to its water requirements. It tolerates periodical flooding and moderate drought.
Birds and mammals feast on this ornamental grass’s seeds. Homeowners love that switchgrass adapts to all soil types and provides erosion control. Use switchgrass as an accent plant or in an arrangement with shorter plants to create a tiered planting effect.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA Hardiness zones: 5a – 9b
- Life cycle: Perennial
- Sun: Full sun, partial shade
- Water needs: Medium
- Soil: Sandy, loamy, clay, limestone-based
- Mature height: 3 – 6 feet
Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans)
This grassy perennial is both attractive and functional. The leaf tips are a fuzzy orangish-brown. In the fall, its foliage ranges from orange to purple. Flowers also sprout in the fall, decorating garden beds with tiny gold, reddish-brown petals. Indiangrass provides erosion control.
This ornamental grass attracts butterflies and birds and mammals eat Indiangrass’s seeds.
Indiangrass works well as an accent plant in a masse, when included in wildflower groupings, or used in dry arrangements.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zones: 3 to 9
- Life cycle: Perennial
- Sun: Full sun or partial shade
- Water needs: Moderate
- Soil: Sand, clay, thin — must be well-drained
- Mature height: 2 to 4 feet tall; 2 to 4 feet wide
Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
Little bluestem allows New Mexican homeowners to keep a grass-like look while reducing or eliminating the need for lawn care tasks, like mowing. Although bluestem is grass-like, it adds a more colorful and textured flare to yards than ordinary grass. The foliage is blue and green, and flowers appear in late summer. The long blades also have a reddish-brown color.
Birds and butterflies are attracted to this low-maintenance perennial. The silver seed heads that develop at the end of summer feed the birds in the winter.
Little bluestem is very drought-tolerant and adapts to many soil types, making it a great option for the state’s climate. Use this native flora as a border, groundcover, or accent plant.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 9
- Life cycle: Perennial
- Sun: Full sun
- Water needs: Low
- Soil: Dry to moist, well-drained soils
- Mature height: 2 to 4 feet
Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
Bearberry fits well in many climates. It is heat, cold, and drought-tolerant, so it grows well in the dry, hot regions and the colder, mountainous areas of New Mexico. This perennial’s habitat includes dry hills and mountains. You’ll also find it growing around rocks in open woodsy areas.
The leaves are quite a sight in most seasons. Foliage is a dark green color in the summer, turns a reddish purple in the fall and brighten up the spring with a yellowish-green hue. The dense mat this plant forms on the ground helps control erosion.
The berries that develop in the summer feed birds into the winter. Native bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds enjoy bearberry flowers.
Plant bearberry as a colorful ground cover and watch the pinkish-white flowers as they blossom on red stems in late spring.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zone: 2 to 6
- Life cycle: Perennial
- Sun: Full sun or partial shade
- Water needs: Low
- Soil: Sandy, acidic; can be dry or moist but no standing water
- Mature height: Up to 8 inches
New Mexico native plant FAQs
Is it best to buy seeds or pre-grown native plants?
If you want less work, buying pre-grown plants is best. However, seeded plants adapt better to your yard’s conditions. Pre-grown plants are usually carried by local nurseries. You can purchase seeds from online stores like Home Depot and Amazon.
What are the best Native Plants for Albuquerque Landscapes?
When choosing plants for Albuquerque – located in the desert and at an elevation level of over 5,300 feet – homeowners need to choose floras that thrive in the heat, low humidity, and multiple sunshiny days the city experiences.
These are some plants that grow well:
- Northern bedstraw (Galium boreale)
- Northern twinflower (Linnaea borealis)
- Field chickweed (Cerastium arvense)
- Hooker’s evening primrose (Oenothera elata)
- Silverweed cinquefoil (Argentina anserina)
What is the best grass for New Mexico Lawns?
If you choose to keep grassy areas in your landscape, you’ll want to plant grass seed that will thrive in New Mexico’s climate and your area and yard’s conditions. Bermudagrass, fine fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, and Zoysiagrass are some of the best grasses for New Mexico. Our guide, The Best Grass for New Mexico Lawns, tells you all of the best grass varieties for the state and more.
Where to get help with your New Mexico landscaping
Homeowners in New Mexico have a few things to consider when selecting plants that will thrive in their landscape. In addition to factors like soil type and your yard’s shadiness, you also need to consider whether you are in a dry or cold area and your elevation level. Lawn Love can connect you with landscaping and lawn care pros who know the New Mexican terrain.
Main Image Credit: Joshua Mayer | Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0
