Mojave Garden

Common Name

Latin Name

H x W

Ornamental Value

Acton Encelia *

Encelia actoni

3' x 3'

Yellow flowers in spring and summer, fragrant foliage

Banana Yucca *

Yucca baccata

4' x 4'

Green leaves, white, greenish, or reddish flowers

Bastard Sage *

Eriogonum wrightii

2 x 2

Lacy flowers in spring, deciduous

Beargrass *

Nolina bigelovii

4' x 3'

Long grass-like leaves, white flowers

Beavertail Cactus *

Opuntia basilaris

1' x 2'

Magenta to red flowers, purple green fruit

California Buckwheat *

Eriogonum fasciculatum

18" to 3'

Lacy flowers in spring

California Barrel Cactus *

Ferocactus acanthodes

To 6'

Yellow to orange to red flowers in late summer or early fall

Claret Cup Cactus

Echinocereus triglochidiatus

1' x 4'

Showy scarlet to wine flowers in spring or early summer

Cow's Tongue Prickly Pear *

Opuntia engelmannii var. linguiformis

4' x 4'

Yellow flowers in spring, purple fruits

Coyote Gourd *

Curcurbita palmata

1' x 30'

Showy 3' wide yellow flowers April through September, may be espalier

Creosote Bush *

Larrea tridentata

6' x 6'

Yellow flowers, evergreen, fragrance from leaves when humidity is high

Desert Agave

Agave deserti

3' x 3'

Yellow flowers

Desert Almond *

Prunus fasciculata

3' x 3'

Tiny, white flowers, not showy

Desert False Indigo *

Amphora fruticosa

10' x 10'

Small purple flowers on 3 inch spike, fragrance of guava, pineapple, lavender

Desert Honeysuckle

Asnisacanthus thurberi

4' x 6'

Lovely orange to red flowers superficially resemble those of honeysuckles

Desert Larkspur

Delphinium pasishii

3' x 1'

Blue to purple flowers in April through June

Desert Lavender *

Hyptis emoryi

8' x 8'

Lavender flowers, minty fragrance in spring, grey to white foliage

Desert Marigold *

Baileya multiradiata

1' x 1'

Yellow daisies almost all year

Desert Milkweed *

Asclepias erosa

2' x 2'

White flowers May to July

Desert Penstemon *

Penstemon pseudospectabilis

2' x 2'

Showy magenta (pink-purple) flowers in mid-summer

Desert Rosemallow *

Hibiscus coulteri

4' x 2'

Showy cream, tan, or yellow flowers March through November

Desert Sage *

Salvia dorrii

2' x 2'

Blue flowers bloom late in spring , leaves fragran

Eaton's Penstemon

Penstemon eatoni

3' x 2'

Showy red flowers in spring

Engelmann's Hedgehog Cactus *

Echinocereus engelmannii

2' x 2'

Showy magenta to fuschia flowers in spring or early summer

Fishhook Barrel Cactus *

Ferocactus cylindraceus

4' x 1'

Yellow flowers in early summer, yellow fruit

Fourwing Saltbush *

Atriplex canescens

5' x 5'

Yellow flowers May to September, evergreen grey leaves

Fragrant Evening Primrose

Neriserenia camporum

8" x 1'

White to pale pink flowers in spring

Fragrant Pitcher Plant

Lepechinia fragrans

6' x 6'

Aromatic white to purple flowers blooming April to June

Giant Sacaton Grass *

Sporobolus wrightii

6' x 6'

Pale pink fragrant flowers mid-summer to fall

Giant Woolystar

Eriastrum densifolium

1' x 1'

Light blue to purple flowers bloom June to October, endangered

Globe Mallow, Desert Mallow *

Sphaeralcea ambigua

2' x 3'

Orange, pink, white, or lavender leaves mostly in spring

Graham's Nipple Cactus *

Mammillaria grahamii

Large pink flowers February to July, red fruits

Grape Soda Lupine *

Lupinus excubitus

4' x 4'

Showy purple blooms May and June with fragrance of grape soda

Golden Yarrow

Eriophyllum confertiflorum

Mat of bright yellow flowers

Great Basin Sage *

Artemisia tridentata

4' x 4'

Silver-green leaves, drab brown flowers August to October, fragrant

Grinnell's Penstemon

Penstemon grinnellii

2' x 2'

Showy pink flowers in spring

Grizzly Bear Pricklypear

Opuntia erinacea

1' x 3'

Pink, red, or yellow flowers in May and June

Hairy Goldenaster *

Heterotheca villosa

6' x 6'

Yellow to gold flowers June through October

Hairy Yerba Santa *

Eriodictyon trichocalyx

6' x 6'

White to purple flowers in spring

Hollyleaf Cherry

Prunus ilicifolia

8' x 8'

White flower spikes in spring, bright red cherries in fall

Honey Mesquite *

Prosopis glandulosa

20' x 20'

White flowers with long stamens February through September, seed pods

Indian Milkweed *

Asclepias eriocarpa

3' x 1'

Yellow flowers July to October, red fruits, butterfly magnet

Indian Ricegrass *

Oryzopsis hymenoides

2' x 1'

Cream or tan flowers in spring, goes dormant with summer heat, popular for dry flower arrangements

Jimson Weed *

Datura wrightii

2' x 4'

Showy white or off-white 6 to 8 " flowers in spring, summer, and fall, deadly poisonous

Joshua Tree *

Yucca brevifolia

15' x 8'

White to cream colored flowers in March followed by attractive fruits

Littleleaf Mock Orange

Philadelphus microphyllus

1' x 1'

Dark green leaves, small white flowers have fragrance of pineapples

Matilija Poppy *

Romneya coulteri

6' x 3'

Huge white flowers, yellow centers, May to July, fragrant

Mojave Aster *

Xylorhiza tortifolia

1' x 2'

Light purple flowers March through May and again in September-October

Mojave Prickly Pear *

Opuntia phaeacantha

3' x 6'

Yellow flowers in spring slowly changing to pinkish orange, mahogany fruits

Mojave Verbena *

Verbena gooddingii

1' x 1'

Pale lavender-blue flowers from February to November, fragrant

Mormon Tea *

Ephedra trifurca or E. viridus

4' x 6'

Texture of stems, yellow flowers on males in spring

Mountain Mahogany

Cercocarpus belutoides

12' x 4'

White to pink fragrant flowers, attractive leaves, inverse conical shape, gains personality with age

Narrowleaf Milkweed

Asclepias fascicularis

3' x 1'

White to off-white flowers July to October, butterfly magnet

Nevada Jointfir *

Ephedra nevadensis

5' x 5'

Texture of stems, yellow flowers on males in spring

Nodding Needlegrass *

Nassella cernua or Stipa cernua

2' x 3'

Tufted foliage with elegant flower stems

Orange Bush Monkeyflower

Diplacus aurantiacus

3' x 3'

One inch yellow to orange to scarlet flowers in spring, dormant in summer in desert

Our Lord's Candle Yucca *

Yucca whipplei

3' x 4'

Evergreen, white and purple flowers in spring

Palmer's Penstemon

Penstemon palmeri

2' x 1'

Showy pink flowers in spring, aromatic

Pancake Prickly Pear *

Opuntia chlorotica

3' x 3'

Yellow-orange flowers in spring, red fruits

Paper Flower

Psilostrophe cooperi

2' x 1'

Yellow flowers bloom early in spring and last for a long time eventually turning into dry and paper-like, used for dry arrangements

Parish's Bluecurls

Trichostema parishii

3' x 3'

Showy blue fragrant flowers in spring

Parry's Beargrass *

Nolina parryi

3' x 3'

White flowers on very tall stalks in spring

Pipestem Clematis

Clematis lasiantha

to 20'

Small white to tan blooms late spring to mid-summer, vine to 20 feet

Pointleaf Manzanita *

Arctostaphylos pungens

6' x 6'

White to pink flowers in late winter to spring, red berries in summer

Prickly Pear Cactus *

Opuntia engelmannii

3' x 3'

Yellow to red flowers April-May, purple fruit

Prince's Plume *

Stanleya pinnata

6' x 5'

3 foot yellow flower spikes bloom April through September

Purple Threeawn *

Aristida purpurea

3' x 3'

Bunch grass, purple blooms April to October

Red Barberry

Berberis haematocarpa

6' x 8'

Fragrant yellow flowers, red berries, purple fall color

Redberry

Rhamnus crocea

12' x 9'

White flowers in March and April, followed by showy red berries, tree looks like scrub oak

Redshank *

Adenostoma sparsifolium

5' x 6'

Small showy white flowers July and August

Redspined Fishhook Cactus *

Sclerocactus polyancistrus

1' x 1'

Showy fuschia to magenta flowers in spring or early summer

Rockspirea

Holodiscus dumosus

8' x 5'

White spray of flowers in July, fruits in October

Royal Penstemon

Penstemon spectabilis

3' x 2'

Purple-blue flowers in spring

Rubber Rabbitbrush *

Chrysothamnus nauseosus

5' x 6'

Small yellow flowers in summer, cotton tufts in fall, grey leaves and limbs

Sacahuista *

Nolina microcarpa

6' x 8'

Greenish white flower cluster in spring, 6 foot leaves

Scarlet Bugler

Penstemon centranthifolius

1' x 2'

Showy red flowers in spring

Scarlet Keckiella

Keckiella ternata

3' x 3'

Red flowers spring to summer

Screwbean Mesquite *

Prosopis pubescens

15' x 15'

Yellow flowers in late spring, fragrant, interesting seedpods

Scrub Live Oak *

Quercus turbinella

6' x 6'

Remains small, evergreen

Side Oats Grama *

Bouteloua curtipendula

2' x 2'

Purple blooms summer to fall

Skeletonleaf Goldeneye

Viguiera stenoloba

2' x 3'

Golden flowers after rains

Skunkbush Sumac

Rhus trilobata

2' x 2'

Small white or yellow flowers in mid-spring, red berries, leaves turn reddish in fall, deciduous

Smoke Tree *

Dalea spinosa

15' x 30'

Purple sweet smelling pea flowers in the spring, silver leaves, green stems, leaves for only a short time

Snapdragon Penstemon

Keckiella breviflora

6' x 3'

Wonderfully fragrant, bright yellow flowers spring and summer and elegant foliage

Soapweed Yucca

Yucca glauca

3' x 3'

Bell shaped flowers, greenish white, pendulous, June to August

Southern California Grape

Vitis girdiana

9' x 30'

White flowers in spring, blue fruit in summer, ground cover

Spiny Hopsage *

Grayia spinosa

2' x 2'

Dark green leaves, bright red flowers March through June

Strawberry Cactus *

Mammillaria dioica

18" x 1'

White to pink flowers, scarlet fruit

Sticky Monkeyflower

Mimulus aurantiacus

3' x 3'

White to orange to red flowers mid-spring to early summer

Strawberry Cactus *

Mammillaria dioica

1' x 6":

White to pink flowers, scarlet fruit

Sulfur Flower *

Eriogonum umbellatum

3' x 3'

Yellow flowers in spring, good ground cover

Summer Holly

Comarostaphylis diversifolia

18' x 15'

White cup shaped flowers May and June followed by edible red berries

Sugarbush

Rhus ovata

12' x 15'

Cream flowers in spring, red fruits in early summer

Teddybear Cholla *

Opuntia bigelovii

4' x 4'

Green-yellow to white flowers in spring, green or yellow fruit

Torry Mesquite *

Prosopis glandulosa var. torreyana

10' x 25'

Yellow flowers in late spring, fragrant, seedpods are sometime scarlet

Toyon

Heteromeles arbutifolia

8' x 5'

Small white flowers late spring to early summer, beautiful red fruit in clusters later

Tree Poppy *

Dendromecon rigida

8' x 6'

Profuse bright yellow poppy flowers spring through fall

Turpentinebush *

Ericameria laricifolia

6' x 8'

Yellow flowers, red berries, purple fall color

Upright Prairie Coneflower

Ratibida columniferaP

3' x 2'

Showy brown, yellow, orange flowers May through October

Waterjacket, Anderson Wolfberry *

Lycium andersonii

3' x 18"

Butterflies and bees use flowers, songbirds eat berries

Wavyleaf Soap Plant *

Chlorogalum pomeridianum

to 3'

Summer white lilies, dies out in late summer

Winterfat *

Ceratoides lanata

2' x 3'

Silvery leaves, white hairs on leaves in fall

Woodland Strawberry

Frageria vesca ssp. californica

6" x 9'

White flowers in spring, red fruit in summer, ground cover

Wooly Bluecurls

Trichostema lanatum

4' x 4'

Blue-pink flowers in spring and fall, fragrant

Wooly Indian Paintbrush *

Castilleja foliolosa

3' x 3'

Showy orange to red flowers March through June

Wooly Milkweed *

Asclepias eriocarpa

3' x 3'

Profuse large clusters of pink-white flowers

Yarrow

Achillea millefolium californica

3' x 3'

White to near white, sometimes pink, flat topped cluster of small flowers from mid-spring to early winter, fragrant

Yellow Bush Snapdragon

Keckiella antirrhinoides

6' x 3'

Wonderfully fragrant, bright yellow flowers spring and summer and elegant foliage

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