Cabeza Prieta Natural History Association
Sonoran Desert Plants
This list is approximately one fourth of the total of 473 entries in the list of plants. You may limit the list to plants that have specific characteristics by using the Plant Identificaton Form. Use the Key Word Search Form to generate a list of plants who's database record contain your search phrase.
List plants by common name: [A-C] | [D-G] | [H-R] | [S-Z] | [A-Z]
- Delicate bladderpod (Lesquerella tenella) - annual forb
- Desert agave, Mezcal (Agave deserti subsp. Simplex) - succulent *
- Desert Broom (Baccharis sarothroides) - medium shrub *
- Desert broomrape, flor de tierra (Orobanche cooperi) - perennial forb *
- Desert cambess, slender-leaf cambess (Oligomeris linifolia) - annual forb
- Desert chia, chia, california sage (Salvia columbariae) - annual forb *
- Desert chicory (Rafinesquia neomexicana) - annual forb *
- Desert chinchweed, Manzanilla del coyote (Pectis papposa var. papposa) - annual forb *
- Desert Christmas cholla, Tasajillo (Opuntia leptocaulis) - sprawling cactus *
- Desert Christmas cholla, Tasajillo (Opuntia leptocaulis) - sprawling cactus *
- Desert club cholla, Devil cholla (Grusonia kunzei (Opuntia kunzei)) - low columnar cactus *
- Desert fir, Pygmy cedar (Peucephyllum schottii) - low shrub *
- Desert fleabane (Erigeron divergens (E.lobatus)) - annual forb
- Desert four o'clock, desert wishbone bush (Mirabilis bigelovii var bigelovii) - perennial forb *
- Desert globe mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua subsp. ambigua) - perennial forb *
- Desert groundcherry, tomatillo del desierto (Physalis crassifolia var. versicolor) - subshrub,edible fruits *
- Desert hackberry (Celtis pallida) - tall shrub *
- Desert lavender (Hyptis emoryi) - medium shrub *
- Desert Marigold (Baileya multiradiata) - perennial forb *
- Desert Marigold (Baileya multiradiata) - perennial forb *
- Desert mariposa, Red mariposa-lily, Flame mariposa (Calochortus kennedyi) - annual forb *
- Desert Milkweed (Asclepias subulata) - medium shrub *
- Desert mistletoe, Toji (Phoradendron californicum) - parasite on trees *
- Desert nest-straw (Stylocline micropoides) - annual forb
- Desert onion, cebollin (Allium macropetalum) - perennial forb *
- Desert Paintbrush (Castilleja chromosa) - perennial forb *
- Desert pellitory (Parietaria floridana (Parietaria hespera)) - annual forb
- Desert pincushion (Chaenactis stevioides) - annual forb *
- Desert rockdaisy (Perityle emoryi) - annual forb *
- Desert rose mallow (Hibiscus coulteri) - straggly shrub *
- Desert saltbush, chamiso cenizo (Atriplex polycarpa) - low shrub *
- Desert seepweed, quelite salado (Suaeda moquinii (Suaeda torreyana)) - subshrub
- Desert senna, daisillo, hojasen (Senna covesii (Cassia covesii)) - perennial forb *
- Desert snapdragon (Antirrhinum cyathiferum) - annual forb
- Desert snow (Linanthus demissus) - annual forb *
- Desert spike-moss, flor de piedra (Selaginella eremophila) - spike moss
- Desert spurge (Euphorbia polycarpa (Chamaesyce polycarpa)) - perennial forb *
- Desert starvine (Brandegea bigelovii) - perennial viny forb *
- Desert straw (Stephanomeria pauciflora var. pauciflora) - perennial forb *
- Desert sumac (Rhus kearneyi subsp. kearneyi) - tall shrub *
- Desert thorn, wolfberry (Lycium macrodon) - medium shrub *
- Desert tobacco (Nicotiana obtusifolia (Nicotiana trigonophylla)) - perennial forb *
- Desert tobacco, tobaco del coyote (Nicotiana clevelandii) - annual forb *
- Desert tree-beargrass (Nolina bigelovii) - low shrub *
- Desert trumpet, bladder stem, guinagua (Eriogonum inflatum) - annual forb
- Desert velvet (Psathyrotes ramosissima) - annual forb *
- Desert willow (Chilopsis linearis) - medium tree *
- Desert windflower (Anemone tuberosa) - perennial forb *
- Desert wolfberry, salicieso (Lycium andersonii) - medium shrub
- Desert zinnia (Zinnia acerosa) - low shrub *
- Desert-holly (Atriplex hymenelytra) - subshrub
- Devil's claw, gato, una de gato, torito (Proboscidea altheaefolia) - annual forb
- Diamond cholla (Opuntia ramosissima) - sprawling cactus *
- Dollarweed, alkali mallow (Malvella leprosa) - perennial forb
- Drymaria (Drymaria viscosa) - annual forb
- Dune croton (Croton wigginsii) -
- Dune cryptantha (Cryptantha ganderi) - annual forb
- Dune primrose, White desert primrose (Oenothera deltoides subsp. deltoides) - annual forb *
- Dune spectacle-pod (Dimorphocarpa pinnatifida (Dithyrea wislizenii)) - annual forb
- Dune sunflower (alternate leaves), Mirasol (Helianthus niveus) - annual forb
- Dune sunflower (opposite leaves), Mirasol (Helianthus niveus) - annual forb *
- Dune Sunflower, desert sunflower (Geraea canescens) - annual forb *
- Dwarf cryptantha (Cryptantha micrantha subsp. micrantha) - annual forb
- Dwarf sedge (Cyperus squarrosus (Cyperus aristatus)) - sedge
- Elegant lupine (Lupinus concinnus) - annual forb *
- Elephant tree (Bursera microphylla) - small tree *
- Emory indigo-bush (Psorothamnus emoryi var. emoryi) - medium shrub
- Engelmann prickly pear (Opuntia engelmannii var. engelmannii) - pad cactus *
- Engelmann prickly pear (Opuntia engelmannii var.flavispina) - sprawling pad cactus *
- Eremalche (Eremalche exilis) - annual forb
- Eryngium (Eryngium nasturtiifolium) - perennial forb
- Euphorbia eriantha (Euphorbia eriantha) - annual forb *
- Euphorbia spathulata (Euphorbia spathulata ) -
- Euphorbia trachysperma (Euphorbia trachysperma (Chamaesyce trachysperma)) -
- Fagonia (Fagonia pachyacantha) - subshrub
- Fairy Duster (Calliandra eriophylla) - low shrub *
- False filaree, desert storksbill (Erodium texanum) - annual forb *
- False nightshade, small groundcherry, green-leaf five-eyes (Chamaesaracha coronopus) - perennial forb *
- False pennyroyal (Hedeoma nanum var. macrocalyx) - perennial forb
- feather fingergrass, cola de zorra, zacate lagunero (Chloris virgata) - annual grass *
- Fendler's desert dandelion (Malacothrix fendleri) - annual forb *
- Fiddleneck (Amsinckia intermedia var. intermedia ) - annual forb *
- Field sandbur, huipapori (Cenchrus incertus) - grass *
- Filaree, storksbill, heronsbill, alfilerillo (Erodium cicutarium) - annual forb,introduced,widespread
- fishhook barrel, Arizona barrel (Ferocactus wislizenii) - medium columnar cactus *
- Fishhook pincushion cactus (Mammillaria grahamii (Mammillaria microcarpa)) - pincushion cactus *
- Flat-globe dodder (Cuscuta umbellata) - parasitic forb
- Flowery spurge (Euphorbia florida (Chamaesyce florida)) - annual forb
- Fluff-grass, zacate borreguerro (Erioneuron pulchellum (Tridens pulchellus)) - perennial stoloniferous grass *
- Foothill bird's-foot trefoil (Lotus humistratus) - annual forb *
- Foothill paloverde (Parkinsonia microphyllum (Cercidium microphyllum)) - medium tree *
- Fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum (P. ruppelii)) - introduced, invasive perennial grass *
- Four-wing saltbush (Atriplex canescens) - medium shrub *
- Foxtail brome, red brome, bromo rojo (Bromus rubens (B. madritensis ssp. Rubens)) - introduced annual grass *
- Fremont wolfberry (Lycium fremontii) - medium shrub *
- Fremont's pincushion, morning bride (Chaenactis fremontii) - annual forb *
- Fringed pigweed, Bledo, Quelitillo (Amaranthus fimbriatus) - annual forb
- Fringed spurge (Euphorbia setiloba (Chamaesyce setiloba)) - annual forb
- Germander (Teucrium cubense subsp. depressum) - annual forb
- Germander (Teucrium glandulosum) - perennial forb *
- Giant sand-milkweed, Hierba del Cuervo (Asclepias erosa) - perennial forb
- Gila live-forever (Dudleya arizonica) - perennial forb *
- Golden hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus nicholii) - low columnar cactus *
- Golondrina (Euphorbia abramsiana (Chamaesyce abramsiana)) - annual forb
- Golondrina (Euphorbia micromera (Chamaesyce micromera)) - annual forb
- Golondrina (Euphorbia petrina (Chamaesyce petrina)) -
- Goodding's vervain (Verbena gooddingii (Glandularia gooddingii)) - perennial forb
- Gordon's bladderpod (Lesquerella gordonii) - annual forb *
- Gray-thorn (Ziziphus obtusifolia var. canescens) - tall shrub *
- Gray-thorn (Ziziphus obtusifolia var. canescens) - tall shrub *
- Ground cherry (Physalis lobata) - perennial forb *
- Gumhead (Gymnosperma glutinosa) - low shrub
The scope of this page is to provide links to information and images of most or all of the plant species native to the Sonoran Desert of southwestern Arizona. Currently, not all the species in this region are on the list, but more will be added from time to time. Information and images for species already on the list are continually being added and updated. Because of this, be sure to check back occasionally.
The plant identification page and the plant images are meant to be only a first step in the identification process. In spite of our best efforts, it is not possible to insure that 100% accuracy in identifying unknown plants can be obtained by using search keys and photographs. When it is of critical importance to be absolutely sure of the identification of a plant, a specimen must be examined by a professional botanist and verified at a recognized herbarium.
* Specie page has photos.
Questions and comments are encouraged. If you have any of these or are in disagreement with any information or images being presented, please contact us at, content_mgr@cabezaprieta.org Feedback is necessary to enable us to correct incorrect information and to further fine-tune the identification process.
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Thomas R. Powell