Sonoran Garden        
Common Name Latin Name Type Usual Height X Width Ornamental Value
         
Banana Yucca, Datil Yucca Yucca baccata S 4 feet X 4 feet Green leaves, white, greenish, or reddish flowers
Beargrass Nolina bigelovii S 4 feet X 3 feet Long grass-like leaves, white flowers
Beavertail Cactus Opuntia basilaris CS 1 foot X 2 feet Magenta to red flowers, purple green fruit
Blackfoot Daisy Melampodium leucanthum PS 6 inches X 1 foot White one inch daisies
Black-Spine Prickly Pear Opuntia macrocentra CS 4 feet X 4 feet Red and bright yellow flowers late spring to early summer, red fruits
Blind Prickly Pear Opuntia rufida CS 5 feet X 5 feet Orange flowers in spring to early summer, fruits have several colors
Blue Palo Verde Cercidium floridum T 12 feet X 15 feet Evergreen branches, yellow flowers two weeks in April or May, fragrant
Bunny Ears Opuntia microdasys CS 4 feet X 4 feet Pale yellow flowers in spring to early summer, red fruits
California Buckwheat Eriogonum fasciculatum P 18 inches to 3 feet Lacy flowers in spring
California Barrel Cactus Ferocactus acanthodes C To 6 feet Yellow to orange to red flowers in late summer or early fall
Canotia Canotia holacantha T 12 feet X 8 feet Evergreen texture of branching
Catclaw Acacia Acacia greggii T 15 feet X 10 feet Yellow flowers
Century Plant Agave americana Y 7 feet X 12 feet Evergreen, yellow flower once at about 10 years or more (monocarpic), stalk 15 to 30 feet high
Claret Cup Cactus Echinocereus triglochidiatus CS 1 X 4 feet Showy scarlet to wine flowers in spring or early summer
Coral Bean Erythrina flabelliformis T 10 feet X 8 feet Long bright red flowers in racemes near end of branches in June followed by foot long gold and brown pods
Cow's Tongue Prickly Pear Opuntia engelmannii var. linguiformis CS 4 feet X 4 feet Yellow flowers in spring, purple fruits
Creosote Bush Larrea tridentata S 6 feet X 6 feet Yellow flowers, evergreen, fragrance from leaves when humidity is high
Desert Agave Agave deserti CS 3 feet X 3 feet Yellow flowers
Desert Almond Prunus fasciculata S 3 feet X 3 feet Tiny, white flowers, not showy
Desert Lavender Hyptis emoryi S 8 feet X 8 feet Lavender flowers, minty fragrance in spring
Desert Marigold Baileya multiradiata   1 foot X 1 foot Yellow daisies almost all year
Desert Rosemallow Hibiscus coulteri P 4 feet X 2 feet Showy cream, tan, or yellow flowers March through November
Desert Spoon, Sotol, Desert Candle Dasylirion wheeleri S 5 feet X 4 feet Yellow flowers on 15 to 20 foot stalks
Desert Willow Chilopsis linearis T 12 feet X 15 feet Trumpet shaped flowers 2 to 3 inches long in white to rose to purple, often two toned
Dwarf White Zinnia, Desert Zinnia Zinnia acerosa P 3 inches X 1 foot White flowers after rains
Feather Dalea, Feather Plume Dalea formosa P 1 foot X 2 feet Bloom fall through spring with small purple and white or cream flowers
Fishhook Barrel Cactus Ferocactus cylindraceus CS 4 feet X 1 foot Yellow flowers in early summer, yellow fruit
Fragrant Evening Primrose Neriserenia camporum P 8 inches X one foot White to pale pink flowers in spring
Giant Century Plant Agave franzosinii Y 8 feet X 10 feet Evergreen silver-grey leaves, infrequent yellow flowers
Graham's Nipple Cactus Mammillaria grahamii CS 6 inches Large pink flowers February to July, red fruits
Globe Mallow, Desert Mallow Sphaeralcea ambigua P 2 feet X 3 feet Orange, pink, white, or lavender leaves mostly in spring
Golden Yarrow Eriophyllum confertiflorum P 2 feet Mat of bright yellow flowers
Honey Mesquite Prosopis glandulosa T 20' x 20' White flowers with long stamens February through September, seed pods
Huajillo Havardia pallens T 20 feet X 15 feet Fragrant, white, ball shaped flowers May through August
Jumping Cholla, Chainfruit Cholla Opuntia fulgida var. fulgida CS 8 feet X 6 feet Red-purple to pink flowers mid spring, green fruits in fall
Lechuguilla Agave lechuguilla CS 18 inches X 2 feet Evergreen, fragrant yellow-green flower
Littleleaf Mock Orange, June Bride Philadelphus microphyllus S 1 foot X 1 foot Dark green leaves, small white flowers have fragrance of pineapples
Mariola Parthenium incanum P 2 feet X 2 feet Gray-white, velvety, aromatic, drought and cold deciduous
Mescal Ceniza Agave colorata Y 3 feet X 3 feet Yellow flowers on stem, grey leaves (monocarpic)
Mescal Pelon Agave pelona Y 6 feet X 6 feet White bloom on stem in early spring, light green leaves (monocarpic)
Mexican Grass Tree Dasylirion longissimum Y 6 feet X 6 feet White flowers after red buds, stalk up to 15 feet tall in mid-summer, dioecious
Mexican Tree Ocotillo Fouquieria macdougalii T 15 feet X 10 feet Red  flowers mid-spring
Mojave Aster Xylorhiza tortifolia P 1 foot X 2 feet Light purple flowers March through May and again in September-October
Mojave Prickly Pear, Tulip Prickly Pear Opuntia phaeacantha CS 3 feet X 6 feet Yellow flowers in spring slowly changing to pinkish orange, mahogany fruits
Mojave Verbena Verbena gooddingii P 1 foot X 1 foot Pale lavender-blue flowers from February to November, fragrant
Mormon Tea Ephedra trifurca or E. viridus S 4 feet X 6 feet Texture of stems, yellow flowers on males in spring
Nevada Jointfir Ephedra nevadensis S 5 feet X 5 feet Texture of stems, yellow flowers on males in spring
New Mexico Agave Agave neomexicana CS 2 X 2 feet Evergreen, yellow flower once in spring
New Mexico False Yucca Hesperaloe funifera Y 6 feet X 6 feet White to yellow blooming stalk to 15 feet March through May
Ocotillo, Candlewood Fouquiera splendens S 12 feet X 8 feet Red to orange flowers after rain
Pancake Prickly Pear Opuntia chlorotica CS 3 feet X 3 feet Yellow-orange flowers in spring, red fruits
Prince's Plume Stanleya pinnata P 6 feet X 5 feet 3 foot yellow flower spikes bloom April through September
Red Barberry Berberis haematocarpa S 6 feet X 8 feet Fragrant yellow flowers, red berries, purple fall color
Red Yucca Nolina bigelovii S 3 feet X 3 feet Evergreen, red flowers
Sacahuista Nolina microcarpa  Y 6 feet X 8 feet Greenish white flower cluster in spring, 6 foot leaves
Santa Rita Prickly Pear Opuntia violaceae santa rita CS 3 fet X 6 feet Pale yellow flowers mid spring, purple fruit in fall drying to grey
Screwbean Mesquite Prosopis pubescens T 15 feet X 15 feet Yellow flowers in late spring, fragrant, interesting seedpods
Skeletonleaf Goldeneye Viguiera stenoloba P 2 feet X 3 feet Golden flowers after rains
Soaptree Yucca Yucca elata S, T 6 feet X 4 feet Green leaves, bell-shaped white flowers, limbs, dead leaves hang on limbs
Spinystar Cactus, Beehive Cactus Coryphantha (Escobaria) vivipara CS 1 foot X 1 foot Showy pink to purple flowers in spring or early summer
Starleaf Mexican Orange, Fragrant Starleaf Choisya dumosa S 18 inches X 3 feet White fragrant flowers after rains, fancy leaves
Strawberry Cactus, Fishhook Cactus Mammillaria dioica CS 18 inches X 1 foot White to pink flowers, scarlet fruit
Teddybear Cholla Opuntia bigelovii CS 4 feet X 4 feet Green-yellow to white flowers in spring, green or yellow fruit
Texas Beargrass, Texas Sacahuista Nolina texana S 4 feet X 3 feet Long grass-like leaves, white flowers
Texas Sotol Dasylirion texanum Y  3 feet X 5 feet Creamy white flowers on 15 foot stalks spring and summer, light green evergreen leaves
Torry Mesquite, Western Mesquite, Mesquite Prosopis glandulosa var. torreyana T 10 feet X 25 feet Yellow flowers in late spring, fragrant, seedpods are sometime scarlet
Tree Cholla, Cane Cholla, Chain Link Cactus Opuntia acanthocarpa CS 8 feet X 8 feet Pink to purple flowers most of the year, fruit yellow green
Turpentinebush, Larchleaf Goldenweed Ericameria laricifolia S 6 feet X 8 feet Yellow flowers, red berries, purple fall color
Velvet Mesquit, Common Mesquite Prosopis velutina T 15 feet X 15 feet White flowers with long stamens, seed pods
Waterjacket, Anderson Wolfberry Lycium andersonii S 3 feet by 18 inches Butterflies and bees use flowers, songbirds eat berries
Weber's Century Plant Agave weberi Y 6 feet X 6 feet Evergreen blue-green toothed leaves, yellow flowers on 15 foot stalk (monocarpic)
Whale's Tongue Agave Agave ovatifolia Y 5 feet X 6 feet Evergreen silver-grey cupped leaves, greenish yellow flowers on 10 to 14 foot stalk
Whitethorn Acacia Acacia constricta T 15 feet X 10 feet Yellow puffballs in spring, fragrant, attractive brown pods in fall
Yellow Butterfly Vine Mascagnia macroptera S 15 foot vine Bright yellow butterfly shaped flowers during hottest months
Zebra Agave Agave zebra Y 4 feet X 4 feet White bloom on stem in late spring, silver-gray striped leaves
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