Wildflowers of the Southwestern Desert
Many desert wildflowers are annuals that bloom in response to adequate rainfall and optimal temperatures. Some years few species bloom, while other years offer a plethora of desert wildflowers. The species included in this collection give a glimpse of some of the more prominent and abundant wildflowers of southwestern deserts.
|
| Scientific Name |
Common Name |
Duration |
Habit |
Sun |
Water |
| Baileya multiradiata |
Desert marigold, Showy desert marigold, Paper daisy, Desert baileya |
Annual |
Herb
|
Part-shade |
Dry |
| Calliandra eriophylla |
Pink fairyduster, Fairyduster, Mesquitilla, Mock mesquite |
Perennial |
Subshrub
|
Sun |
Dry |
| Calochortus kennedyi |
Desert mariposa lily, Desert mariposa, Red mariposa-lily, Flame mariposa |
Perennial |
Herb
|
Sun |
Dry |
| Calycoseris wrightii |
White tackstem |
Annual |
Herb
|
|
|
| Carnegiea gigantea |
Saguaro |
Perennial |
Cactus/Succulent
|
Sun |
Dry |
| Echinocereus reichenbachii ssp. reichenbachii |
Lace Cactus, Lace hedgehog cactus |
Perennial |
Cactus/Succulent
|
Sun |
Dry |
| Enceliopsis nudicaulis |
Nakedstem sunray, Sunray |
Perennial |
Subshrub
|
|
|
| Eschscholzia californica ssp. mexicana |
Mexican gold poppy, California poppy |
Annual |
Herb
|
Sun |
Moist, Dry |
| Fallugia paradoxa |
Apache plume, Ponil |
Perennial |
Shrub
|
Part-shade |
Dry |
| Fouquieria splendens |
Ocotillo, Devil’s walking stick, Candlewood |
Perennial |
Shrub
|
Part-shade |
Dry |
| Gaillardia pinnatifida |
Blanket flower, Red dome blanketflower, Red-dome blanket-flower, Yellow gaillardia |
Perennial |
Herb
|
Sun |
|
| Glandularia gooddingii |
Southwestern mock vervain, Pink verbena, Southwestern vervain, Goodding's verbena, Mojave verbena |
Perennial |
Herb
|
Sun |
Dry |
| Hesperocallis undulata |
Ajo lily, Desert lily, Desert-lily |
Perennial |
Herb
|
Sun |
|
| Hibiscus coulteri |
Coulter hibiscus, Desert rose-mallow, Desert rosemallow |
Perennial |
Herb
|
Part-shade |
Dry |
| Kallstroemia grandiflora |
Arizona poppy, Orange caltrop, Desert poppy, Summer poppy |
Annual |
Herb
|
Sun |
|
| Layia glandulosa |
White tidytips, Whitedaisy tidytips |
Annual |
Herb
|
Sun |
|
| Malacothrix glabrata |
Desert-dandelion, Smooth desertdandelion |
Annual |
Herb
|
|
|
| Melampodium leucanthum |
Blackfoot Daisy, Rock daisy, Plains blackfoot |
Perennial |
Herb
|
Sun, Part-shade |
Dry |
| Mentzelia pumila |
Dwarf mentzelia |
Biennial |
Herb
|
|
|
| Oenothera deltoides |
Birdcage evening-primrose, Fragrant primrose, Desert evening-primrose, Birdcage primrose |
Annual |
Herb
|
Sun |
|
| Penstemon parryi |
Parry's beardtongue, Parry's penstemon |
Perennial |
Herb
|
Sun |
Dry |
| Penstemon pseudospectabilis |
Desert penstemon, Rosy desert beardtongue, Canyon penstemon, Mohave beard-tongue |
Perennial |
Herb
|
Sun |
Dry |
| Phacelia crenulata |
Cleft-leaf wild heliotrope, Notchleaf phacelia |
Annual |
Herb
|
|
|
| Phlox tenuifolia |
Santa Catalina Mountain phlox |
Perennial |
Subshrub
|
|
|
| Psilostrophe cooperi |
White-stem paper-flower, Whitestem paperflower, Yellow paper daisy |
Perennial |
Shrub
|
Sun |
Dry |
| Scabrethia scabra ssp. scabra |
Badlands mule-ears |
Perennial |
Subshrub
|
|
|
| Sphaeralcea ambigua |
Desert globemallow, Apricot globe-mallow, Desert mallow, Globe mallow, Apricot mallow |
Perennial |
Herb
|
Sun |
Dry |
| Tetraneuris acaulis var. acaulis |
Butte marigold, Stemless four-nerve daisy, Stemless goldflower, Stemless rubber weed |
Perennial |
Herb
|
Sun |
|
| Zinnia grandiflora |
Rocky Mountain zinnia, Little golden zinnia, Yellow zinnia, Plains zinnia, Prairie zinnia |
Perennial |
Shrub
|
Part-shade |
Dry |