Arizona Pincushion Cactus: Small Cactus of Desert Scrublands
The Arizona pincushion cactus sits so close to the ground that it can vanish among gravel, dry grass,...
Beavertail Prickly Pear: Flat-Padded Cactus of the Mojave Desert
Beavertail prickly pear (Opuntia basilaris) is one of the clearest plant signals of the Mojave Desert: low to...
Blackbrush: Shrub of the Mojave and Great Basin Deserts
Blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima) is a dense, dark-barked desert shrub that occupies some of the clearest vegetation transition zones...
Brittlebush: Yellow-Flowering Shrub of the Sonoran Desert
Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa) is a rounded desert shrub recognized by its silvery-gray leaves and yellow, daisy-like flower heads....
Camel Thorn Tree: Desert Tree of Southern Africa
The camel thorn tree, Vachellia erioloba, is one of the most recognizable large trees of the dry interior...
Claret Cup Hedgehog Cactus: Flowering Cactus of Rocky Deserts
Claret cup hedgehog cactus can remain visually quiet for much of the year, its ribbed green stems blending...
Creosote Bush: One of the Toughest Desert Shrubs
Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) is a resinous evergreen shrub of the Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan deserts. It looks...
Desert Gold: Yellow Wildflower of Death Valley and the Mojave
Desert Gold (Geraea canescens) is one of the yellow wildflowers most closely associated with Death Valley and the...
Desert Ironwood: Long-Lived Tree of the Sonoran Desert
Desert ironwood grows on some of the hottest, driest ground in the Sonoran Desert, yet the oldest individuals...
Desert Lily: Flowering Plant of Sandy Deserts
The desert lily (Hesperocallis undulata) is a bulb-forming perennial of the hot deserts of southwestern North America. For...
Desert Marigold: Bright Wildflower of Dry Landscapes
Desert marigold is one of the yellow wildflowers closely associated with the dry landscapes of the American Southwest....
Desert Paintbrush: Bright Red Wildflower of Arid Habitats
Desert paintbrush brings intense red and orange color to some of the driest landscapes of western North America....
Desert Sand Verbena: Purple Wildflower After Desert Rain
Desert sand verbena, Abronia villosa, is one of the low-growing wildflowers that can turn bare sandy ground pink,...
Desert Spoon: Rosette Plant of Rocky Desert Slopes
Desert spoon forms a rounded burst of narrow blue-green leaves on dry, broken ground. It is most closely...
Elephant Tree: Drought-Deciduous Tree of Desert Washes
Elephant tree, Bursera microphylla, grows where water arrives in brief pulses rather than as a steady supply. A...
Fishhook Barrel Cactus: Hook-Spined Cactus of the Sonoran Desert
The fishhook barrel cactus is one of the most recognizable barrel cacti of the Sonoran Desert: a ribbed,...
Fourwing Saltbush: Hardy Shrub of Dry Western Deserts
Fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens) is a gray-green perennial shrub found across dry landscapes of western North America. It...
Joshua Tree: Iconic Plant of the Mojave Desert
The Joshua tree, Yucca brevifolia, is one of the clearest living markers of the Mojave Desert. It is...
Mojave Yucca: Hardy Yucca of the Mojave Desert
Across the Mojave Desert, low shrubs often shape the horizon. Creosote bush, white bursage, blackbrush and scattered grasses...
Mormon Tea Plant: Desert Shrub with Jointed Stems
The Mormon tea plant is one of the easiest shrubs to recognize across dry parts of the western...
Ocotillo: Desert Plant That Greens After Rain
For much of the year, an ocotillo can look like a cluster of tall, thorn-covered canes rising from...
Organ Pipe Cactus: Columnar Cactus of the Sonoran Desert
The organ pipe cactus (Stenocereus thurberi) is a many-stemmed columnar cactus of the Sonoran Desert. Instead of growing...
Palo Verde Tree: Green-Barked Tree of the Sonoran Desert
Palo verde trees give parts of the Sonoran Desert a green woody structure even during long dry periods....
Quiver Tree: Aloe Tree of Southern African Deserts
The quiver tree rises above the sparse ground of southern Africa as a thick-stemmed succulent with the outline...
Saguaro Cactus: Giant Cactus of the Sonoran Desert
The saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) is the tall, branching cactus most closely linked with the Sonoran Desert. It...
Saxaul Tree: The Desert Tree That Stabilizes Sand
The saxaul tree is one of the clearest examples of how a desert plant can shape the land...
Silver Cholla: Cactus of the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts
Silver cholla is one of the most recognizable cholla cacti of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts, though its...
Soaptree Yucca: Desert Yucca of Dry Grasslands
Yucca elata, widely known as soaptree yucca, rises above the open ground of the Chihuahuan Desert with a...
Tarbush: Desert Shrub of the Chihuahuan Desert
Tarbush (Flourensia cernua) is a native perennial shrub closely associated with the Chihuahuan Desert of the southwestern United...
Teddy Bear Cholla: Dense-Spined Cactus of the Sonoran Desert
Teddy bear cholla is one of the most recognizable cholla cacti of the Sonoran Desert. Its pale yellow...
Welwitschia: Ancient Desert Plant of the Namib
Welwitschia mirabilis is one of the Namib Desert’s most unusual plants: low to the ground, long-lived, cone-bearing, and...
White Bursage: Low Shrub of North American Deserts
White bursage (Ambrosia dumosa) is one of the low shrubs that gives large parts of the Mojave and...
32 articles in Desert Plants