15 Plants for Southwestern Gardens

By
Jennifer Lesser
Jennifer Lesser
Jennifer Lesser

Jennifer Lesser is a New Jersey-based freelance writer covering lifestyle for The Spruce. She has over 16 years of experience writing for various outlets including Time Out NY and NJ Monthly.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
Updated on 09/12/22
Reviewed by
Mary Marlowe Leverette
mary marlowe leverette spruce gardening board
Reviewed by Mary Marlowe Leverette
Mary has been a Master Gardener for 30+ years and a commercial and residential gardener for 50+ years. She is a former Clemson University Extension Agent.
Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board
California fuchsia bush with tiny red flowers on evergreen stems

The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

The plants that are native to the Southwest make popular garden choices for anyone who lives in warm, dry climates. From cacti to sunflowers, these Southwestern varieties tend to be tough, hardy, drought-tolerant plants that are easy to grow. They produce both brilliant flowers and unique foliage that can be used as everything from garden groundcovers to pops of vivid color in rock gardens.

Here are 15 suggested popular plants for a garden with a Southwestern climate.

  • 01 of 15

    Autumn Sage

    Autumn Sage

    Sydney Faith Woodward/Getty Images

    Autumn sage (Salvia greggii) is a gorgeous southwestern beauty that's known for its evergreen foliage and vibrant clusters of red, pink, purple, or violet flowers. The flowers bloom from late summer through autumn, and they attract both butterflies and hummingbirds.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 6b to 9a
    • Color Varieties: Red, pink, purple, or violet
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Well-drained
  • 02 of 15

    Wine Cups

    Wine cups

    Katya Lyukum/Getty Images

    The wine cup or poppy mallow (Callirhoe involucrata) is a tough and hardy plant that grows deep burgundy flowers from late spring through the middle of the summer. Growing up to one foot tall, they are most commonly used as a groundcover and are known for their low-growing foliage that almost resembles a wine glass.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 4a to 8a
    • Color Varieties: Burgundy, Pink, Red
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Well-drained
  • 03 of 15

    Texas Red Yucca

    Texas red yucca

    Leslie Quiroz/Getty Images

    Another plant that screams southwest, the red yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora) produces vividly bright red flowers in the summer that are a favorite of hummingbirds. As with many Southwestern natives, the four-foot red yucca is both heat and drought-tolerant.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 6a to 10a
    • Color Varieties: Red, Coral, Gold/Yellow
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Well-drained
  • 04 of 15

    Spanish Bayonet

    Spanish bayonet

    Fitopardo/Getty Images

    A year-round southwestern native, the Spanish bayonet (Yucca harrimaniae) is an evergreen plant known for its bold, blue-green foliage and white, bell-shaped flowers. This lovely plant blooms in the summer and will need dry soil and partial shade conditions to grow to its mature size of up to four feet.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 5a to 9a
    • Color Varieties: White, Green, Yellow
    • Sun Exposure: Partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Dry
    Continue to 5 of 15 below.
  • 05 of 15

    California Poppy

    California poppy plant with bright yellow silky petals in sunlight

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    The state flower of California, the California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) is a popular Southwestern favorite. It grows showy, beautiful flowers in shades of orange, apricot, yellow, cream, and pink throughout the summer; its blue-gray foliage is also particularly eye-catching. These annual plants grow to be about 18 inches tall.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 6a to 10a
    • Color Varieties: Orange, apricot, yellow, cream, and pink
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Sandy, rocky, well-drained
  • 06 of 15

    Perennial Sunflower

    Perennial sunflower

    PBouman/Getty Images

    Considered to be one of the fall's showiest plants, the perennial sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani) produces a massive amount of bright golden-yellow flowers atop tall stems—they can grow up to eight feet tall. They also attract butterflies.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 4a to 9a
    • Color Varieties: Yellow
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Well-drained
  • 07 of 15

    Yellow Columbine

    Yellow columbine flowers with tubular petals and buds closeup

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    The yellow columbine (Aquilegia chrysantha) plant is considered one of the most graceful and elegant of all the desert plants associated with the Southwest. Despite their beauty, these heat-tolerant plants are also tough and hardy and will bloom almost continually if they are frequently deadheaded. The yellow plants attract both butterflies and hummingbirds.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 4a to 9a
    • Color Varieties: Yellow
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Well-drained
  • 08 of 15

    Bunny Ears Cactus

    Bunny Ears Cactus

    Firn/Getty Images

    It's impossible to compile a list of Southwestern plants without including cacti, and the bunny ears cactus (Opuntia microdasys) is an especially unique, and adorable, evergreen cactus variety. These cacti rarely produce spines, and their shape resembles two bunny ears. They grow to be about two feet tall and have bright yellow flowers that bloom in spring and summer.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 9b to 12a
    • Color Varieties: Yellow flowers rarely bloom
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Well-drained
    Continue to 9 of 15 below.
  • 09 of 15

    Pineleaf Penstemon

    Pineleaf Penstemon

    Ecaterina Leonte/Getty Images

    The pineleaf penstemon (Penstemon pinifolius) offers both fine foliage and bright orange-red flowers, which are known for their ability to attract hummingbirds. They bloom for six weeks in summer, and grow in full sun and well-drained soil. The pineleaf penstemon will grow to be about 16 inches tall.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 9
    • Color Varieties: Orange, red
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Well-drained
  • 10 of 15

    Tetraneuris

    Tetraneuris

    Martina Sliger/Getty Images

    The tetraneuris or angeita daisy (Tetraneuris acaulis) produces tidy mounds of blue-green foliage and daisy-shaped golden-yellow flowers. These dwarf plants are most commonly used for the front of a garden border, and are known for their long bloom time—they can flower from the spring through fall. The tetraneuris will require both full sun and dry, well-drained soil, and can grow to about six inches tall.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 8
    • Color Varieties: Yellow
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Dry, well-drained
  • 11 of 15

    Red Hyssop

    sunset hyssop

    Charlie McDonald; uploaded by Xiaphias [Public domain]/Wikimedia Commons

    The red hyssop or hummingbird mint (Agastache rupestris) is a type of agastache plant that's hardy and drought-resistant. These plants are a great fit in just about any region, and they grow stunning orange, apricot, or red blooms. The perennial will bloom throughout the summer, and its aromatic foliage successfully repels animals like rabbits and deer. The red hyssop needs well-drained soil and sunny conditions to grow to its mature height of about four feet.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 5b to 8a
    • Color Varieties: Pink, purple, orange
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun, partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Well-drained
  • 12 of 15

    Dessert Sunflower

    Desert sunflower

    Jared Quentin/Getty Images

    The dessert sunflower (Geraea canescens) is a long-blooming plant known for its golden, daisy-shaped flowers. These plants generally bloom in spring, but can sometimes bloom again in the fall months. They have a unique fuzzy gray foliage that's known to repel rabbits and deer. These annual plants grow best in full sun and well-drained soil, and they can be expected to grow to about three feet tall.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 7 to 10
    • Color Varieties: Yellow
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Sandy, well-drained
    Continue to 13 of 15 below.
  • 13 of 15

    Indian Paintbrush

    Indian paintbrush

    ca2hill/Getty Images

    The Indian paintbrush (Castilleja integra) is a gorgeous plant that grows vibrant red flowers from the late spring until the first frost. These long-blooming perennial plants are a favorite amongst hummingbirds and are drought-tolerant. When planted in full sun and well-drained soil, they should grow to be about three feet tall.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 4a to 8a
    • Color Varieties: Red, orange
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Well-drained
  • 14 of 15

    California Fuschia

    California fuchsia plant with bright red tubular flowers on tall stems

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    The California fuschia (Zauschneria californica) is an evergreen perennial that's often planted as a groundcover. They bloom brilliant orange and red flowers, which appear in the late summer. The long-lasting flowers are a favorite amongst hummingbirds and butterflies and will thrive in full sun and well-drained soil. The California fuschia grows to be about one foot tall.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 8a to 10a
    • Color Varieties: Orange, red
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Well-drained
  • 15 of 15

    Green-Flowered Hedgehog Cactus

    Green-flowered hedgehog cactus

    Clement Peiffer/Getty Images

    The green-flowered hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus viridiflorus) is another unique cactus plant. It is known for its tight and spiny green glove and iridescent green flowers that bloom in the early spring. They are a popular choice for rock gardens and will require dry soils and full sun. They can grow to be up to nine inches tall.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 10
    • Color Varieties: Flowers range from yellowish to reddish
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Rocky soils