Quick answer: 84 drought-tolerant native plants are native to New Mexico, 59 with a live listing as of 04 Nov 2026.
84 species
- Alderleaf mountain mahogany Cercocarpus montanus · 15 states
- Antelope bitterbrush Purshia tridentata · 12 states
- Apache plume Fallugia paradoxa · 8 states
- Aspen fleabane Erigeron speciosus · 7 states
- Autumn sage Salvia greggii · 2 states
- Banana yucca Yucca baccata · 8 states
- Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi · 34 states
- Big bluestem Andropogon gerardii · 41 states
- Big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata · 14 states
- Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta · 44 states
- Blackfoot daisy Melampodium leucanthum · 6 states
- Blue grama Bouteloua gracilis · 19 states
- Bluebunch wheatgrass Pseudoroegneria spicata · 16 states
- Buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides · 19 states
- Butterflyweed Asclepias tuberosa · 40 states
- California fuchsia Epilobium canum · 8 states
- California poppy Eschscholzia californica · 6 states
- Cenizo sage Leucophyllum frutescens · 2 states
- Chocolate flower Berlandiera lyrata · 6 states
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · 44 states
- Colorado four o'clock Mirabilis multiflora · 7 states
- Common elderberry Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis · 36 states
- Common gaillardia (blanketflower) Gaillardia aristata · 11 states
- Common juniper Juniperus communis · 39 states
- Common sotol Dasylirion wheeleri · 3 states
- Common sunflower Helianthus annuus · 18 states
- Common yarrow Achillea millefolium · 47 states
- Creeping Oregon grape Mahonia repens · 15 states
- Creosote bush Larrea tridentata · 6 states
- Cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata · 43 states
- Deerbrush Ceanothus integerrimus · 5 states
- Deergrass Muhlenbergia rigens · 5 states
- Desert marigold Baileya multiradiata · 4 states
- Desert willow Chilopsis linearis · 5 states
- Eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides · 42 states
- Eastern redbud Cercis canadensis · 32 states
- Gambel oak Quercus gambelii · 8 states
- Golden currant Ribes aureum · 3 states
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · 43 states
- Greenleaf manzanita Arctostaphylos patula · 9 states
- Harebell Campanula rotundifolia · 35 states
- Honey mesquite Prosopis glandulosa · 4 states
- Idaho fescue Festuca idahoensis · 12 states
- Indian blanket Gaillardia pulchella · 17 states
- Indian ricegrass Achnatherum hymenoides · 17 states
- Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans · 37 states
- Indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa · 37 states
- Lemon beebalm Monarda citriodora · 10 states
- Lewis flax (blue flax) Linum lewisii · 17 states
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · 42 states
- Mexican buckeye Ungnadia speciosa · 2 states
- Mexican hat Ratibida columnifera · 17 states
- New Mexico locust Robinia neomexicana · 2 states
- Ocotillo Fouquieria splendens · 3 states
- Parry's agave Agave parryi · 2 states
- Pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea · 38 states
- Pineleaf penstemon Penstemon pinifolius · 2 states
- Pink evening primrose Oenothera speciosa · 8 states
- Ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa · 16 states
- Purple prairie clover Dalea purpurea · 18 states
- Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides · 39 states
- Red yucca Hesperaloe parviflora · 2 states
- Rocky Mountain bee plant Peritoma serrulata · 26 states
- Rocky Mountain penstemon Penstemon strictus · 5 states
- Rocky Mountain zinnia Zinnia grandiflora · 6 states
- Rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa · 17 states
- Scarlet bugler Penstemon barbatus · 2 states
- Scarlet gilia Ipomopsis aggregata · 13 states
- Scarlet globemallow Sphaeralcea coccinea · 12 states
- Showy milkweed Asclepias speciosa · 17 states
- Sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula · 38 states
- Silver buffaloberry Shepherdia argentea · 17 states
- Smooth sumac Rhus glabra · 42 states
- Spotted beebalm Monarda punctata · 29 states
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum · 43 states
- Tufted evening primrose Oenothera caespitosa · 15 states
- Utah serviceberry Amelanchier utahensis · 5 states
- Velvet mesquite Prosopis velutina · 3 states
- Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia · 40 states
- Western yarrow Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis · 18 states
- Winecup Callirhoe involucrata · 16 states
- Winterfat Krascheninnikovia lanata · 12 states
- Woolly paperflower Psilostrophe tagetina · 7 states
- Yellow bells (esperanza) Tecoma stans · 3 states
Drought-tolerant native plants in New Mexico: what to know
84 of the 107 plants native to New Mexico in this directory fit this need: 79% of the state's list, well above the 56% share across all species.
Between them they flower from February through December, with the most in bloom in June. Mixing early and late bloomers keeps the planting useful all season.
Many do double duty: 69 are also good for pollinators, 46 are also good for birds, 45 are also deer-resistant.
71 of them grow in full or partial sun and 23 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Aspen fleabane and Black-eyed Susan to trees such as Alderleaf mountain mahogany and Bearberry. For wildlife, 69 support pollinators, 46 provide food or cover for birds and 27 are caterpillar host plants.
59 of the 84 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Apache plume, Autumn sage, Black-eyed Susan: common listings for these are often a bred variety or a different species.
Good places to start
Verified wild-species listings that take sun and are widely native, so they are forgiving first plants.
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Apr-Jul
- Cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Jul-Oct
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Apr-Jun