Selecting the right plants for your yard can completely transform your outdoor space. Desert climates present unique challenges when it comes to landscaping and gardening. However, many beautiful plants can thrive in hot, arid environments. We’ve compiled this list of 21 easy desert plants to help you choose the perfect additions for your yard. With proper site preparation and care, these hardy plants can flourish despite the desert heat.
Why Choose Desert Plants?
Desert plants are exceptionally drought tolerant and require very little water once established. This makes them ideal for low maintenance yards and gardens. Many desert plants have silvery or fuzzy foliage that helps reflect sunlight and reduce water loss. Their deep root systems allow them to soak up any available moisture from rain showers. Desert plants add vibrant colors, unique textures, and visual interest to outdoor spaces. They are perfect for creating pollinator and wildlife habitat as well. If you live in an arid region, these rugged plants can withstand your climate and add natural beauty to your landscape.
Tips for Growing Desert Plants
While desert plants are adapted to thrive in hot, dry conditions, providing a bit of preparation and care will help them prosper. Here are some useful tips:
- Amend the soil with compost or other organic matter to improve drainage and moisture retention.
- Group plants with similar water and sunlight needs together.
- Water deeply and infrequently to encourage deep root growth.
- Use mulch around plants to cool soil temperatures and reduce water evaporation.
- Provide shade for plants sensitive to intense midday sun exposure.
- Allow soil to dry between waterings and adjust watering schedule by season.
- Prune plants lightly in spring to remove dead growth and shape as needed.
- Remove weeds and clear debris from around plants to reduce competition.
21 Beautiful and Easy Desert Plants
Succulents
Succulents thrive in hot, dry conditions making them ideal for desert gardens. Their fleshy leaves and stems store water allowing them to survive drought. Succulents come in a huge variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Here are some of the easiest to grow:
Hens and Chicks (Echeveria species)
This popular rosette-forming succulent spreadsoffsets resembling a mother hen and chicks. The fleshy leaves come in shades of blue, pink, red, and green. Hens and chicks requires very little water and blooms in spring or summer. They are perfect for rock gardens.
Burro’s Tail (Sedum morganianum)
Also called donkey tail, this trailing succulent has thick leaves densely packed on braided stems. The leaves turn pink or red with ample sunlight exposure. Burro’s tail makes a nice groundcover or hanging basket plant.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is grown for its gel-filled leaves known for healing properties. The spiky leaves form a rosette and produce tall flower spikes. Aloe vera grows well in pots on patios and requires little water. The gel can be harvested for sunburn relief and other uses.
Yucca
Yuccas are architectural desert plants with tall, spiky leaves radiating from a central stalk. Soaptree yucca and beaked yucca are some popular varieties. Yuccas send up enormous flower spikes in summer. They are very drought tolerant.
Ornamental Grasses
Ornamental grasses add texture and graceful movement to dry gardens. Many are native to arid regions. Popular desert grass varieties include:
Fountain Grass (Pennisetum species)
Known for their fluffy, bushy inflorescences, there are over 200 fountain grass varieties. Purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) is highly popular with dark leaves and pink blooms.
Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia species)
This clump-forming grass stays compact with fine-textured foliage. Pink muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) turns vibrant pinkish-red in fall. It is perfect for borders or naturalizing.
Desert Spoon (Dasylirion wheeleri)
This unique grass has spiny bluish-green leaves in a rosette shape. Tall flowering spikes emerge from the center. Desert spoon makes a stunning accent plant.
Shrubs
Desert-adapted shrubs thrive in hot, sunny yards. These woody plants provide structure and give year-round interest. Here are some top options:
Texas Sage (Leucophyllum frutescens)
Texas sage is a rugged, heat-loving evergreen shrub with silvery foliage and purple blooms. It works nicely in xeriscape gardens and butterfly gardens. Texas sage needs well-drained soil and infrequent irrigation.
Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora)
Red yucca forms arching blue-green leaves up to 3 feet long. Tall spikes of bell-shaped red flowers rise above the foliage from late spring into summer, attracting hummingbirds.
Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata)
This slow-growing evergreen shrub has resinous green leaves and pretty yellow flowers. Creosote bush thrives in arid climates and its roots secrete creosote resin. It makes a nice addition to native plant gardens.
Desert Lavender (Condea emoryi)
Desert lavender has fragrant gray-green foliage and produces purple blooms from spring to fall. This drought tolerant shrub works great for erosion control on embankments. It attracts bees and butterflies as well.
Large Desert Plants
For structure and natural beauty, include some large desert plants in your landscape like cacti, trees, and flowering perennials. Some top options include:
Saguaros Cactus (Carnegiea gigantean)
The iconic giant saguaro only grows in the Sonoran Desert but is highly sought after. These enormous columnar cacti can reach over 40 feet tall and live 200 years. Dramatic arms develop as saguaros mature. Plant permits are required due to protected status.
Mesquite Tree (Prosopis glandulosa)
Mesquite trees thrive in the extreme heat and poor soil of deserts. Feathery compound leaves provide dappled shade and fragrant yellow blooms attract pollinators. Mesquite trees survive on little water and make nice shade trees.
Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis)
This lovely tree has long, thin willow-like leaves and showy trumpet-shaped summer flowers in shades of white, pink, and purple. Desert willow thrives in dry climates and needs good drainage. Hummingbirds love the blossoms.
Agave (Agave species)
Agaves range dramatically in size from small specimen plants to enormous specimens like the century plant. Bold rosettes of thick succulent leaves come in green, blue-green, gray-green, and variegated forms. Flower spikes can reach over 20 feet tall!
Annuals & Perennials
Annuals and perennials provide colorful accents and can handle desert summers with proper care. Some top picks include:
Lantana
This heat loving annual comes in many bright colors like yellow, orange, pink, and purple. Lantana is sterile so it never sets seed. It blooms nonstop spring through fall. Lantanas attract butterflies and require very little water.
Verbena
Verbenas are fast-growing spreading annuals that bloom prolifically in hot weather. Colors include red, pink, purple, white, and more. Grow verbenas in full sun and provide moderate water. Plant in spring or fall.
Penstemon
Penstemons are perennial wildflowers with a multitude of varieties native to North America. Tubular flower clusters sit atop tall stems. Penstemons come in white, pink, red, purple, and more. Hummingbirds love them.
Blanket Flower (Gaillardia)
Blanket flowers produce daisy-like flowers in bold shades of red, yellow, orange, and purple. These drought tolerant perennials die back in winter then return in spring. Give them full sun and well-drained soil.
Desert Marigold (Baileya multiradiata)
This hardy perennial wildflower thrives in sun and heat. Solitary yellow daisy-like blooms with red centers rise above silvery foliage from spring to fall. Desert marigold needs good drainage and occasional water.
Caring for Desert Plants
While very drought tolerant, desert plants will thrive with a bit of care and maintenance. Here are some tips:
Watering – Even drought-adapted plants need supplemental water until their root systems establish. Water thoroughly but infrequently, allowing the soil to dry between watering. Adjust your watering schedule by season.
Soil – Amend soil with compost or gravel to improve drainage which is crucial for desert plants. Use mulch around plants to maintain moisture and reduce evaporation.
Sunlight – Position plants according to their sun exposure needs, providing shade for any sensitive to intense midday sun.
Pruning – Prune dead growth as needed in early spring. Remove any diseased or damaged foliage. Shape and thin plants to improve air circulation.
Fertilizer – Use a balanced, slow release fertilizer at half strength in spring. Avoid high nitrogen fertilizers that can damage desert-adapted plants.
Pests/Diseases – Check regularly for signs of problems. Identify the pest or disease and treat organically through removal, soap spray, horticultural oil, etc. Isolate or remove severely infected plants.
Hardiness – Be aware of your hardiness zone and protect more tender plants from any extreme winter cold. Many can be overwintered indoors.
Enjoying the Beauty and Interest of Desert Plants
With their unique shapes, textures, and colors, desert plants bring striking beauty to hot, dry region gardens. They provide year-round visual interest as well as food and habitat for wildlife including pollinators. Desert plants range from elegant and graceful to unusual and architectural. By combining evergreens, blooming perennials, annuals, grasses and more, you can create a diverse landscape that thrives in arid climates. We hope this guide provided plenty of excellent options to incorporate into your own desert garden or xeriscape project. Just be sure to group plants by their sun and watering needs. With smart planning and care, these rugged plants will flourish despite the challenges of desert gardening.