Here are the Best Desert Plants that can be a fantastic addition to both your home and garden! We have made an extensive list!
Check out our list of the Best Desert Plants that will add a ravishing appeal to your home with little upkeep.
Best Desert Plants
1. Curve Leaf Yucca
Botanical Name: Yucca gloriosa var. tristis
The Curve Leaf Yucca is a desert ornamental plant with long, narrow, and curved leaves that adds beauty wherever it is grown.
2. Oleander
Botanical Name: Nerium oleander
Oleander is an evergreen shrub or small tree that is native to the Mediterranean region. It is known for its showy, fragrant flowers, which can be pink, red, white, or yellow, depending on the variety.
3. Autumn Joy Stonecrop
Botanical Name: Hylotelephium spectabile
An adaptable plant and a tough perennial, the Autumn Joy Stonecrop displays bright red and pink foliage, adding color to desert areas and warmer regions.
4. Western Wallflower
Botanical Name: Erysimum capitatum
Also called the Buttercup Wallflower, the plant has blooms arranged in clusters at the top of the plant. The plant is drought-tolerant and prefers full sun to partial shade.
5. Coyote Melon
Botanical Name: Cucurbita palmata
A flowering plant of the Squash family, the Coyote Melon has dark green arrow-headed leaves with thick and short stems.
6. Spiny Aloe
Also known as Aloe Comosa, the Spiny Aloe is a wonderful desert plant with succulent leaves curving upwards with bright red spikes.
7. Broom Snakeweed
Botanical Name: Gutierrezia sarothrae
Broom snakeweed is a flowering plant native to the western United States and Mexico and bears small yellow blooms.
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8. Bluebunch Wheatgrass
Botanical Name: Pseudoroegneria spicata
With blue-green foliage, the Bluebunch wheatgrass grows in a wide range of habitats, including dry, rocky slopes and plateaus, and can tolerate drought and extreme temperatures.
9. Blue Grama Grass
Botanical Name: Bouteloua gracilis
Blue Grama Grass is another of the best desert plants and is often used as a landscaping plant in dryland regions. It is relatively low maintenance and requires little water once established.
10. Autumn Charm Stonecrop
Botanical Name: Sedum ‘Autumn Charm’
The Autumn Charm Stonecrop is a stunning desert plant with gray-green leaves with clusters of light yellow flowers.
11. Buddha’s Temple
Botanical Name: Crassula pyramidalis
The Buddha’s Temple is a succulent desert plant that grows in the shape of a temple owing to its leaves that grow upward.
12. Screw Pine
Botanical Name: Pandanus
Screw pine, also known as Pandanus, is a tropical plant native to the Pacific and Indian Ocean regions. It is known for its distinctive, spiraled leaves, which grow in a spiral pattern around a central stem.
13. Topsy Turvy Echeveria
Botanical Name: Echeveria runyonii
A wonderful desert plant, the Topsy Turvy Echevaria is a succulent with exotic blue-gray leaves that curve upward, making the foliage appear like a flower.
14. Sand Sagebrush
Botanical Name: Artemisia filifolia Torr
Sand sagebrush is a small, shrubby plant with thin, gray-green leaves and small, inconspicuous flowers that grows in a wide range of habitats, including dry, sandy soils, and can tolerate drought and extreme temperatures.
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15. Hawksbeard
Botanical Name: Crepis
Another of the best desert plants is the Hawksbeard, known for its small, inconspicuous flowers and gray-green leaves.
16. Creeping Oregon Grape
Botanical Name: Mahonia repens
With small, yellow flowers and shiny, evergreen leaves, the Creeping Oregon Grape is often used as a landscaping plant in dryland regions.
17. Spineless Gray Horsebrush
Botanical Name: Tetradymia canescens
Spineless gray horsebrush is a member of the Asteraceae family and is known for its small, inconspicuous flowers and gray, spiny branches.
18. Fleabane Daisy
Botanical Name: Erigeron annuus
Fleabane daisy species are one of the best desert plants and are known for their small, daisy-like flowers and lance-shaped leaves.
19. Russian Thistle
Botanical Name: Salsola
Russian thistle is a species of annual herb that is native to Europe and Asia and known for its small, inconspicuous flowers and spiny, green branches.
20. Dragon’s Blood Stonecrop
The Dragon’s Blood Stonecrop is a lovely ground cover with dark pink and purple blooms.
21. Brittlebush
A typical desert shrub, the Brittlebrush is one of the best plants, with bright yellow flowers growing quickly.
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22. Black Rose Aeonium
23. Creosote Bush
The Creosote Bush is an evergreen shrub that does exceptionally well in deserts and dry regions and grows in various shapes.
24. Joshua Tree
The Joshua Tree is an excellent desert plant with clustered branches that grow upwards, bearing spiky leaves, giving it a unique appearance.
25. Felt Bush
The Felt bush is a perennial succulent with large green-yellow leaves covered in tiny hair.
26. California Poppy
27. Red Pancake
Also known as the desert cabbage, the red pancake has thick bright green leaves that turn red towards the edges.
28. Fox Tail Agave
An evergreen succulent with silver and pale green leaves, the fox tail agave appeals to everyone with its distinct shape.
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29. Winecup
Botanical Name: Clarkia purpureaWinecups or purple poppy mallows are desert-friendly plants with trailing stems and delicate purple flowers with a white center.
30. Lantana
Botanical Name: Lantana camara
31. Whitestem Paperflower
Botanical Name: Psilostrophe cooperi
The Whitestem Paperflower is a sub-shrub with wooly white stems and alluring yellow flowers.
32. Hen and Chicks
Botanical Name: Sempervivum tectorum
An alpine plant with a high tolerance, hen and chicks is a cluster of succulents with thick green leaves tipped in red.
33. Blazing Star
Botanical Name: Liatris
The Blazing Star is known for its tall, slender spikes of colorful, fluffy flowers. The flowers are typically purple, pink, or white blossoms.
34. Rattleweed
Botanical Name: Crotalaria retusa
Also known as Devil-bean, shack shack, and wedge-leaf rattlepod, Rattleweed has hairy, heart-shaped leaves and small, yellow flowers that bloom in the summer and early fall.
35. Bristly Langloisia
Botanical Name: Langloisia setosissima
Found in dry, rocky soils in desert and chaparral habitats, the Bristly Langloisia has bright yellow flowers and is often used as an ornamental desert plant.
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36. Tumbleweed
Botanical Name: Salsola
Tumbleweed is another desert plant that detaches from the stem on maturity and spreads its seeds wherever the wind rolls it.
37. Desert Marigold
The Desert Marigold is an aster with deeply lobed leaves and stunning yellow blooms.
38. Rainbow Bitterroot
Botanical Name: Lewisia cotyledon ‘Rainbow’
An evergreen perennial, the rainbow bitterroot gets its name from its blooms’ wide range of colors.
39. Desert Lily
Desert Lilies are beautiful white flowers on long stems that bloom in the desert.
40. Cape Aloe
The Cape Aloe is a succulent shrub with blue-green foliage covered in red spines at the edges.
41. Moss Rose
Botanical Name: Portulaca grandiflora
Moss Rose has bright green leaves and blooms yellow, red, pink, and white flowers. The plant retains water in its stems, making it an excellent desert plant.
42. Ocotillo
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43. Yellow Palo Verde
Botanical Name: Parkinsonia microphylla
44. Mojave Aster
With grey-green stems and silver-green leaves, the Mojave aster bears lavender-white blossoms with yellow anthers.
45. Pink Fairy Duster
The Pink Fairy Duster is a wonderful low-spreading desert shrub with delicate pink-purple flowers.
46. Texas Sage
The Texas Sage is an evergreen shrub that is low maintenance, compact, and attracts everyone with pale green leaves and bright purple flowers.
47. Perennial Verbena
Botanical Name: Glandularia canadensis
The Perennial Verbena has clustered flowers that bloom throughout the summer months. The leaves of the perennial verbena plant are oval or lance-shaped and are typically green.
48. Desert Peach
Botanical Name: Prunus andersonii
One of the best desert plants, the Desert Peach, produces small, white or pink flowers in the spring and has small, edible fruits that resemble peaches in appearance and flavor.
49. Poodle Dog Bush
Botanical Name: Turricula parryi
The Poodle Dog Bush is a woody, shrubby plant that grows up to 3-6 feet (1-2 meters) tall and produces small, purple, or blue flowers in the spring and summer.
50. Desert Star
Botanical Name: Monoptilon bellidiforme
Also known as Mojave star, it is a member of the sunflower family (Asteraceae) and has small, white or pale pink flowers.
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51. Pencil Plant
The Pencil Plant, or the pencil cactus, is a unique plant that grows well in arid and desert climates. It is known for its pencil-like thick cylindrical succulent branches.
52. Bougainvillea
The bougainvillea is an ornamental bush that can thrive in desert and arid areas, bringing vibrance with its purple, blue, pink, and orange varieties.
53. Living Stone
Pebble succulent plants are known for their stone-like appearance, Living stones are one of the best desert plants.
54. Cape Blanco
Botanical Name: Sedum spathulifolium ‘Cape Blanco’
The Cape Blanco has long and thick stems of grey-blue that grow bright yellow blossoms.
55. Crown Of Thorns
The Crown of thorns is a succulent with thick green leaves that bears amazing red, orange, pink, or yellow blooms.
56. Indian Paintbrush
With two-lipped tubular flowers on long narrow stems, the Indian paintbrush is one of the most lovely and best desert plants you can have.
57. Pink Muhly Grass
The Pink Muhly is an ornamental grass that displays beautiful shades with its green stems and purple flowers.
58. Bastard Toadflax
Small in size, the Bastard Toadflax has clusters of yellow flowers on leafy upright stems.
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59. Mormon Tea
Botanical Name: Mormon Tea
Also known as Indian Tea, the Mormon tea plant is a shrub with joint green branches that can be dried and used to make medicinal tea.
60. Jumping Cholla
Botanical Name: Cylindropuntia fulgida
61. Vervain
Botanical Name: Verbena officinalis
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62. Galleta Grass
Botanical Name: Pleuraphis rigida
One of the best desert plants, the Galleta Grass, is a low-growing grass with thin, blue-green leaves and small, inconspicuous flowers.
63. Big Sagebrush
Botanical Name: Artemisia tridentata
The Big Sagebrush is a member of the Asteraceae family and is known for its distinctive, pungent aroma and silvery-gray leaves.
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64. Yellow Bells
Yellow bells is an evergreen shrub with bright green leaves and bell-shaped yellow blooms.
65. Desert Palm Tree
Palm trees are excellent for desert environments as they can withstand the sun and are beautiful trees.
66. Cooper’s Hardy Ice Plant
With low succulent foliage of lovely purple or pink blossoms, Cooper’s Hardy Ice Plant brings beauty to any arid or desert area.
67. Indian Rice Grass
Botanical Name: Oryzopsis hymenoides
Indian rice grass is a perennial grass native to the western United States and Canada, known for its small, fine-textured leaves and delicate, flowering panicles.
68. Rubber Rabbitbrush
Botanical Name: Ericameria nauseosa
With yellow flowers and sticky, resin-covered stems, the Rubber rabbitbrush is an important plant in the ecosystem of the western United States and is a key food source for many species of wildlife, including birds, rodents, and ungulates.
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69. Great Basin Wildrye
Botanical Name: Leymus cinereus
Another one among the best desert plants, the Great Basin Wildrye, is a member of the Poaceae family and is known for its tall, slender stems and small, spike-like flowers.
70. Cheatgrass
Botanical Name: Bromus tectorum
Cheatgrass is an invasive grass species that is native to Europe and Asia but has naturalized in many parts of the world, including the United States and Canada. It is known for its rapid growth and ability to spread quickly and aggressively in new areas.
71. Blackbrush
Botanical Name: Coleogyne ramosissima
Blackbrush is a woody shrub that is native to the southwestern United States; that has small, white flowers and dark, spiny branches.
72. Cushion Buckwheat
Botanical Name: Eriogonum ovalifolium
Cushion buckwheat is a low-growing plant with thin, gray-green leaves and small, white flowers that bloom in the summer.
73. Gilia
Botanical Name: Gilia
Gilia is a genus of flowering plants that belongs to the Polemoniaceae family; known for its small, colorful flowers, which come in shades of blue, purple, pink, and white.
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74. Evening Primrose
Botanical Name: Oenothera
Evening primrose species are known for their small, colorful flowers, which come in shades of yellow, pink, and white. They have thin, hairy stems and leaves and are often used in landscaping and natural gardens.
75. Winterfat
Botanical Name: Krascheninnikovia lanata
Krascheninnikovia lanata, also known as Whitestem paperflower, is a flowering plant native to the western United States and Canada, known for its small, yellow flowers and hairy, gray-green leaves.
76. Sego Lily
Botanical Name: Calochortus nuttallii
One of the best desert plants, the Sego lily is also popular in natural landscaping and traditional herbal medicine. Sego lily treats various ailments, including coughs, colds, and respiratory issues.
77. Antelope Bitterbrush
Botanical Name: Purshia tridentata
Antelope bitterbrush is another woody shrub native to the western United States and is known for its small, white flowers and dark, spiny branches.
78. Desert Willow
Botanical Name: Chilopsis linearis
Desert Willow is a member of the Bignoniaceae family and is known for its small, trumpet-shaped flowers and long, narrow leaves.
79. Globemallow
Botanical Name: Sphaeralcea
Globemallow is a genus of flowering plants that belongs to the Malvaceae family, known for their small, colorful flowers, which come in shades of orange, pink, and red.
80. Utah Juniper
Botanical Name: Juniperus osteosperma
The Utah Juniper has small, blue-green leaves and rough, reddish-brown bark and can tolerate drought and extreme temperatures.
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81. Desert Candle
Botanical Name: Caulanthus inflatus
Caulanthus inflatus, also known as Desert Candle, is a biennial plant that grows up to 1-2 feet (30-60 cm) tall and has long, slender stems that are covered in small, spiky thorns.
82. Alkali Mariposa Lily
Botanical Name: Calochortus striatus
The Alkali Mariposa Lily is a flowering plant native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The flowers are typically white or pale pink and have three petals that are adorned with distinctive purple or maroon markings.
83. Queen Of The Night
Botanical Name: Epiphyllum oxypetalum
84. Hildmann’s Cereus
Botanical Name: Cereus hildmannianus
The Hildmann’s Cereus is another captivating desert plant. The shrubby cactus has red thorns and bears white blooms.
85. Giant Claret Cup
The Giant Claret Cup is one of the best desert plants that puts other cacti to shame with its vibrant red flowers.
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86. Paperbag Bush
Botanical Name: Scutellaria Mexicana
The Paperbag Bush is a woody, shrubby plant that grows up to 4-5 feet tall and has long, slender stems that are covered in small, green leaves. It produces small, yellow flowers that bloom in the summer and has distinctive, papery seedpods.
87. Mojave Monkeyflower
Botanical Name: Mimulus mohavensis
Native to the Mojave Desert of the southwestern United States, the Mojave Monkeyflower is a perennial herb with bright red or yellow flowers, making it one of the best desert plants.
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88. Fairy Duster
Botanical Name: Calliandra eriophylla
One of the best desert plants, the Fairy Duster, is a species of flowering plant in the legume family, native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
89. Chuparosa
Botanical Name: Justicia californica
Native to the southwestern United States, the Chuparosa has narrow, lance-shaped leaves. The plant also attracts hummingbirds and butterflies.
90. Orchid tree
Botanical Name: Bauhinia variegata
The Orchid tree, also known as Bauhinia, is a flowering plant native to tropical and subtropical regions. It is known for its distinctive, showy flowers, which have a shape that resembles orchids.
