Arid Plant List an illustrated guide to common landscape plants used in and around the Tucson area

Compiled by the Master Gardeners of the University of Arizona Pima County Cooperative Extension.

listed alphabetically by botanical name (switch to list alphabetized by common name)
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Botanical name	common name	family
A
Abelia grandiflora	Glossy abelia	Caprifoliaceae
Acacia aneura	Mulga tree	Fabaceae
Acacia constricta	White thorn acacia	Fabaceae
Acacia craspedocarpa	Leather leaf acacia	Fabaceae
Acacia cultiformis	Knife acacia	Fabaceae
Acacia farnesiana	Sweet acacia	Fabaceae
Acacia greggii	Cat-claw acacia	Fabaceae
Acacia karroo	Karroo thorn acacia	Fabaceae
Acacia redolens	Prostrate acacia	Fabaceae
Acacia salicina	Willow acacia	Fabaceae
Acacia saligna	Blue leaf wattle	Fabaceae
Acacia smallii	Sweet acacia	Fabaceae
Acacia willardiana	Palo blanco	Fabaceae
Agave americana	Century plant	Agavaceae
Agave parryi huachucensis	Parry's agave	Agavaceae
Agave vilmoriniana	Octopus agave	Agavaceae
Agave weberii	Weber's agave	Agavaceae
Ageratum corymbosum	Butterfly mist	Asteraceae
Aloe barbadensis	Aloe vera, medicinal aloe	Liliaceae
Aloe saponaria	African aloe	Liliaceae
Ambrosia deltoidea	Triangle-leaf bursage	Asteraceae
Antigonon leptopus	Queen's wreath	Polygonaceae
Asclepias subulata	Desert Milkweed	Asclepidaceae
Asparagus densiflorus 'Sprengeri'	Asparagus fern	Liliaceae

B	top
Baileya multiradiata	Desert marigold	Asteraceae
Bauhinia lunarioides	Chihuahuan orchid shrub	Fabaceae
Berlandiera lyrata	Chocolate flower	Asteraceae
Bignonia capreolata	Cross vine	Bignoniaceae
Bougainvillea glabra  New Photos	Bougainvillea	Nyctaginaceae
Brachychiton populneus	Bottle tree	Sterculiaceae
Brahea armata	Mexican blue palm	Arecacea
Buchloe dactyloides	Buffalo grass	Gramineae
Buddleia marrubifolia	Woolly butterfly bush	Loganiaceae
Bulbine frutescens	Bulbine	Liliaceae
Buxus microphylla japonica	Boxwood	Buxaceae

C
Caesalpinia gilliesii	Yellow bird of paradise	Fabaceae
Caesalpinia mexicana	Mexican bird of paradise	Fabaceae
Caesalpinia pulcherrima	Red bird of paradise	Fabaceae
Calliandra californica	Baja fairy duster	Fabaceae
Calliandra eriophylla	Native fairy duster	Fabaceae
Callistemon viminalis	Weeping bottlebrush	Myrtaceae
Calylophus hartwegii	Sundrops	Onagraceae
Campsis radicans	Common trumpet creeper	Bignoniaceae
Carnegiea gigantea	Saguaro	Cactaceae
Cassia artemisioides	Feathery cassia	Fabaceae
Castilleja exserta	Owl's clover	Scrophulariaceae
Celtis pallida	Desert hackberry	Ulmaceae
Celtis reticulata	Netleaf hackberry	Ulmaceae
Cercidium floridum	Blue palo verde	Fabaceae
Cercidium microphyllum	Foothills palo verde	Fabaceae
Cercis occidentalis	Western redbud	Fabaceae
Chamaerops humilis	Mediterranean fan palm	Palmae
Chilopsis linearis	Desert willow	Bignoniaceae
Chrysactinia mexicana	Damianita daisy	Asteraceae
Cleome isomeris	Bladderpod	Capparaceae
Cocculus laurifolius	Laurel-leaf cocculus	Menispermaceae
Cordia boissieri	Texas olive	Boraginaceae
Cordia parvifolia	Litle leaf cordia	Boraginaceae
Crossosoma bigelovii	Rhyolite bush	Crossosoma
Cupressus arizonica	Arizona cypress	Cupressaceae
Cupressus sempervirens	Italian cypress	Cupressaceae
Cycas revoluta	Sago palm	Cycadaceae
Cylindropuntia bigelovii	Teddy bear cholla	Cactaceae
Cylindropuntia versicolor	Staghorn cholla	Cactaceae
Cytisus spachianus	see Genista racemosa

D	top
Dalbergia sissoo	Sissoo tree	Fabaceae
Dalea frutescens	Black dalea	Fabaceae
Dalea greggii	Trailing indigo bush	Fabaceae
Dalea pulchra	Bush dalea	Fabaceae
Dasylirion longissima	Toothless spoon	Agavaceae
Dasylirion wheeleri	Desert spoon	Agavaceae
Dimorphotheca aurantiaca	African Daisy	Asteraceae
Dodonaea viscosa	Hopseed bush	Sapindaceae
Dyssodia pentachaeta	Golden dyssodia	Asteraceae

E
Ebenopsis ebano	see Pithecellobium flexicaule
Echinocactus grusonii	Golden barrel	Cactaceae
Ehretia anacua	Sandpaper tree	Boraginaceae
Encelia farinosa	Brittle bush	Asteraceae
Ericameria laricifolia	Turpentine bush	Asteraceae
Eremophila decipiens	Emu bush	Myoporaceae
Eriogonum fasciculatum	Buckwheat	Polygonaceae
Eucalyptus camaldulensis	Red gum	Myrtaceae
Eucalyptus rudis	Flooded gum	Myrtaceae
Euphorbia rigida	Gopher plant	Euphorbiaceae

F	top
Feijoa sellowiana	Pineapple guava	Myrtaceae
Ferocactus wislizenii	Fishhook barrel cactus	Cactaceae
Ficus carica	Edible Fig	Moraceae
Ficus pumila	Creeping fig	Moraceae
Fouquieria columnaris  New Photos	Boojum	Fouquieriaceae
Fouquieria splendens	Ocotillo	Fouquieriaceae
Fraxinus greggii	Greg ash	Oleaceae
Fraxinus velutina	Arizona ash	Oleaceae
Fraxinus velutina 'Fan-tex'	Fan-tex ash	Oleaceae
G
Gaillardia_grandiflora	Blanket flower	Asteraceae
Genista racemosa	Sweet broom	Fabaceae
Gleditsia triacanthos	Honey locust	Fabaceae
H
Hedera canariensis	Algerian ivy	Araliaceae
Hesperaloe parviflora	Red yucca	Agavaceae

J	top
Jacaranda mimosifolia	Jacaranda	Bignoniaceae
Juniperus chinensis 'Torulosa'	Hollywood twisted juniper	Cupressaceae
Juniperus sabina	Juniper	Cupressaceae
Justicia brandegaeana	Shrimp plant	Acanthaceae
Justicia californica	Chuparosa	Acanthaceae
Justicia spicigera	Mexican honeysuckle	Acanthaceae

L
Lagerstroemia indica	Crape myrtle	Lythraceae
Lantana camara (horrida)	Bush lantana	Verbenaceae
Lantana montevidensis (velutina)	Trailing lantana	Verbenaceae
Larrea tridentata	Creosote bush	Zygophyllaceae
Leucophyllum candidum	Silver leaf ranger	Scrophulariaceae
Leucophyllum frutescens	Texas ranger	Scrophulariaceae
Leucophyllum laevigatum	Chihuahuan rain sage	Scrophulariaceae
Leucophyllum prunosum	Sierra bouquet	Scrophulariaceae
Ligustrum japonicum	Waxy (japanese) privet	Oleaceae
Ligustrum lucidum	Glossy privet	Oleaceae
Lippia nodiflora	Frogfruit	Verbenaceae
Lycium brevipes	Wolfberry	Solanaceae
Lycium hassei	see Lycium_brevipes

M	top
Macfadyena unguis-cati	Catclaw vine	Bignoniaceae
Magnolia grandiflora	Southern magnolia	Magnoliaceae
Mascagnia macroptera	Yellow orchid vine	Malpighiaceae
Melia azedarach	Chinaberry	Meliaceae
Moraea bicolor	Fortnight lily	Iridaceae
Morus alba 'Fruitless'	White mulberry	Moraceae
Muhlenbergia capillaris	Pink muhly	Poaceae
Muhlenbergia rigens	Deer grass	Poaceae
Myrtus communis	True myrtle	Myrtaceae
Myrtus communis 'Boetica'	Twisted myrtle	Myrtaceae

N
Nandina domestica	Heavenly bamboo	Berberidaceae
Nerium oleander	Oleander	Apocynaceae
Nolina microcarpa	Bear grass	Agavaceae

O	top
Oenothera berlandieri	Mexican evening primrose	Onagraceae
Oenothera caespitosa	White primrose	Onagraceae
Olea europaea	Olive tree	Oleaceae
Olneya tesota	Desert ironwood	Fabaceae
Opuntia bigelovii	Teddy bear cholla	Cactaceae
see Cylindropuntia bigelovii
Opuntia engelmannii	Engelmann's prickly pear	Cactaceae
Opuntia ficus-indica	Indian fig	Cactaceae
Opuntia lindheimeri	Cow's tongue prickly pear	Cactaceae
Opuntia microdasys	Bunny ears	Cactaceae
Opuntia versicolor	Staghorn cholla	Cactaceae
see Cylindropuntia versicolor
Opuntia violaceae santa rita	Santa Rita prickly pear	Cactaceae
Orthocarpus purpurascens	see Castilleja exserta

P
Parkinsonia aculeata	Mexican palo verde	Fabaceae
Parkinsonia aculeata hybrid	Desert Museum palo verde	Fabaceae
Pennisetum setaceum 'Cupreum'	Purple fountain grass	Poaceae
Penstemon parryi	Parry's penstemon	Scrophulariaceae
Phoenix canariensis	Canary Island date palm	Palmae
Phoenix dactylifera	Date palm	Palmae
Pinus canariensis	Canary Island pine	Pinaceae
Pinus eldarica	Afghan pine	Pinaceae
Pinus halepensis	Aleppo pine	Pinaceae
Pistacia atlantica	Mount Atlas pistache	Anacardiaceae
Pistacia chinensis	Chinese pistache	Anacardiaceae
Pistacia lentiscus	Evergreen pistache	Anacardiaceae
Pithecellobium flexicaule	Texas ebony	Fabaceae
Pithecellobium mexicanum	Mexican ebony	Fabaceae
Pittosporum tobria	Mock orange	Pittosporaceae
Platanus occidentalis	American planetree	Platanaceae
Platycladus orientalis	Oriental arborvitae	Cupressaceae
Podocarpus macrophyllus	Japanese yew	Podocarpaceae
Populus fremontii	Western cottonwood	Salicaceae
Prosopis alba	Argentine mesquite	Fabaceae
Prosopis chilensis	Chilean mesquite	Fabaceae
Prosopis glandulosa	Honey mesquite	Fabaceae
Prosopis pubescens	Screwbean mesquite	Fabaceae
Prosopis velutina	Velvet mesquite	Fabaceae
Psilostrophe cooperi	Paper flower	Helenieae
Punica granatum	Pomegranate	Punicaceae
Pyracantha species	Pyracantha	Rosaceae
Pyrus kawakamii	Evergreen pear	Rosaceae

Q	top
Quercus virginiana	Southern live oak	Fagaceae

R
Rhus lancea	African sumac	Anacardiaceae
Rhus microphylla	Little leaf sumac	Anacardiaceae
Rosa banksiae	Tombstone rose	Rosaceae
Rosemarinus officinalis 'Prostratus'	Rosemary	Labiatae
Ruellia brittoniana	Common ruellia	Acanthaceae
Ruellia peninsularis	Desert ruellia	Acanthaceae

S
Salvia chamaedryoides	Blue chihuahuan sage	Lamiaceae
Salvia clevelandii	Cleveland sage	Lamiaceae
Salvia greggii	Autumn sage	Lamiaceae
Salvia leucantha	Mexican bush sage	Lamiaceae
Schinus molle	California pepper tree	Anacardiaceae
Simmondsia chinensis	Jojoba	Simmondaceae
Sophora secundiflora	Texas mountain laurel	Fabaceae
Sphaeralcea ambigua	Globe mallow	Malvaceae
Stenocereus thurberi	Organ pipe cactus	Cactaceae
Syagrus romanzoffianum	Queen palm	Palmae

T	top
Tagetes lemmonii	Mount Lemmon marigold	Asteraceae
Tamarix chinensis	Salt cedar	Tamaricaceae
Tecoma stans angustata	Yellow bells	Bignoniaceae
Tecomaria capensis	Cape honeysuckle	Bignoniaceae
Teucrium chamaedrys	Germander	Labiatae
Thevetia peruviana	Yellow oleander	Apocynaceae
Thymophylla pentachaeata	see Dyssodia pentachaeta
Tithonia fruticosa	Mexican sunflower	Asteraceae
Trachelospermum jasminoides	Star jasmine	Apocynaceae

V
Vauquelinia californica	Arizona rosewood	Rosaceae
Verbena gooddingii	Goodding verbena	Verbenaceae
Verbena rigida	Sandpaper verbena	Verbenaceae
Verbena tenuisecta (pulchella)	Moss verbena	Verbenaceae
Vinca major	Vinca	Apocynaceae
Vitex agnus-castus	Monk's pepper	Verbenaceae
Vitis arizonica	Arizona canyon grape	Vitaceae

W
Washingtonia filifera	California fan palm	Palmae
Washingtonia robusta	Mexican fan palm	Palmae
X	top
Xylosma congestum	Xylosma	Flacourtiaceae
Y
Yucca baccata	Banana yucca	Agavaceae
Yucca elata	Soaptree yucca	Agavaceae
Yucca faxoniana	Faxon yucca	Agavaceae
Yucca gloriosa	Spanish dagger	Agavaceae
Yucca recurvifolia	Pendulous yucca	Agavaceae
Yucca rigida	Blue yucca	Agavaceae
	top

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This page was first created July 2, 2001 and last modified April 19, 2008.