About Desert Plants

Located in Palm Desert and just 15 minutes from Palm Springs, The Living Desert's mission is desert conservation through preservation, education and appreciation. Click here to become a member. Campers learn about plants and animals, the environment (including our own desert) and what it's like to work at a zoo Quarters for Conservation. Choose a Conservation Project and help protect wild animals and plants around the planet! You can become an important part of The Living Desert's conservation efforts through our Adopt! Program.

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Foothills of Sonora Garden

Botanical Name Common Name Family
Acacia cochliacantha (A. cymbispina) Boat-thorn Acacia Fabaceae
Acacia farnesiana Sweet Acacia Fabaceae
Acacia greggii Cat-claw Acacia Fabaceae
Acacia occidentalis Sonora Tree Cat-claw Acacia Fabaceae
Acacia pennatula Feather Acacia Fabaceae
Acacia willardiana Palo Blanco Fabaceae
Agave angustifolia Maguey Lechugilla Agavaceae
Agave shrevei ssp. magna Shreve's Agave Agavaceae
Agave vilmoriniana Octopus Agave Agavaceae
Agave zebra Zebra Agave Agavaceae
Albizia sinaloensis Sonora Silk Tree Fabaceae
Ambrosia ambrosioides Canyon Ragweed Asteraceae
Anisacanthus andersonii Anderson’s Honeysuckle Acanthaceae
Antigonon leptopus Coral Vine Polygonaceae
Asclepias subulata Desert Milkweed Asclepiadaceae
Baccharis sarothroides Desert Broom Asteraceae
Baileya multiradiata California Marigold Asteraceae
Brickellia desertorum Desert Brickellia Asteraceae
Brongniartia alamosana Alamos Pea Tree Fabaceae
Bursera fagaroides Fragrant Elephant Tree Burseraceae
Bursera grandifolia Palo Mulato Burseraceae
Bursera hindsiana Copal Burseraceae
Bursera laxiflora Torote Prieto Burseraceae
Bursera microphylla Elephant Tree Burseraceae
Bursera pencillata Totote Incienso Burseraceae
Caesalpinia palmeri Piojito Fabaceae
Caesalpinia platyloba Palo Colorado Fabaceae
Caesalpinia pumila Copper Bird of Paradise Fabaceae
Callaeum macroptera (Mascagnia macroptera) Gallinita, Yellow Orchid Vine Malpighiaceae
Calliandra californica Baja Fairy Duster Fabaceae
Calliandra eriophylla Pink Fairy Duster Fabaceae
Carnegia gigantea Saguaro Cactaceae
Ceiba acuminata Silk Cotton Tree, Kapok Malvaceae (Bombacaceae)
Condalia globosa Bitter Condalia Rhamnaceae
Cordia parvifolia Little-leaf Cordia Boraginaceae
Coursettia glandulosa Baby Bonnets Fabaceae
Cylindropuntia arbuscula Pencil Cholla Cactaceae
Cylindropuntia fulgida var. mamillata Chain-fruit Cholla Cactaceae
Dalea emoryi Dye Weed Fabaceae
Dasylirion wheeleri Desert Spoon Nolinaceae
Diphysa sp. Fabaceae
Dodonaea viscosa Hop Bush Sapindaceae
Encelia farinosa Brittlebush Asteraceae
Erythrina flabelliformis Coral Bean Fabaceae
Eysenhardtia orthocarpa Sonoran Kidneywood Fabaceae
Ficus padifolia Sonoran Strangler Fig Moraceae
Fouquieria macdougalii Mexican Tree Ocotillo Fouquieriaceae
Fouquieria splendens Ocotillo Fouquieriaceae
Grusonia marenae (Marenopuntia marenae) Sonoran Devil Cholla Cactaceae
Guaiacum coulteri Guayacan Zygophyllaceae
Haematoxylon brasiletto Brasil Fabaceae
Havardia mexicana (Pithecellobium mexicanum) Mexican Ebony Fabaceae
Havardia sonorae (Pithecellobium sonorae) Sonoran Ebony Fabaceae
Hymenoclea salsola Cheesebush Asteraceae
Hyptis emoryi Desert Lavender Lamiaceae
Jacquinia macrocarpa ssp.pungens San Juanito, Picuna Theophrastaceae
Jatropha cinerea Lomboy Euphorbiaceae
Jatropha cordata False Torote, Miguelito Euphorbiaceae
Jatropha cuneata Sangre de Drago Euphorbiaceae
Justicia candicans Red Justicia Acanthaceae
Lophocereus schottii Senita Cactaceae
Lycium sp. Wolfberry, Box Thorn Solanaceae
Lysiloma microphyllum (L.divaricata) Mauto Fabaceae
Lysiloma watsoni (L. thornberi, L. microphylla thornberi) Feather Bush Fabaceae
Mammillaria microcarpa Pincushion Cactus Cactaceae
Melochia tomentosa Broomwood Malvaceae
Mimosa distachya var. laxiflora (M. laxiflora) Arizona Mimosa Fabaceae
Mimosa dysocarpa Velvet-pod Mimosa Fabaceae
Mimosa grahamii Graham’s Mimosa Fabaceae
Muhlenbergia dumosa Bamboo Muhly Poaceae
Nolina matapensis Sonoran Tree Beargrass Nolinaceae
Olneya tesota Ironwood Fabaceae
Opuntia arbuscula Pencil Cholla Cactaceae
Opuntia gosseliniana Violet Pricklypear Cactaceae
Pachycereus pectin-aboriginum Etcho, Hair Brush Cactus Cactaceae
Pachycereus pringlei Cardon Cactaceae
Parkinsonia florida (Cercidium floridum) Palo Verde Fabaceae
Parkinsonia microphylla (Cercidium microphyllum) Little-leaf Palo Verde Fabaceae
Parkinsonia praecox (Cercidium praecox) Palo Brea Fabaceae
Parkinsonia x sonorae Sonoran Palo Verde Fabaceae
Pedilanthus macrocarpus Candelilla, Fairy Slipper Euphorbiaceae
Pilosocereus alensis Pitahaya Barbona Cactaceae
Petalonyx thurberi Sandpaper Plant Loasaceae
Pithecellobium dulce Guamuchil, Manila Tamarind Fabaceae
Pithecellobium tortum Fabaceae
Plumbago scandens Summer Snow, Doctorbush Plumbaginaceae
Prosopis glandulosa Honey Mesquite Fabaceae
Prosopis pubescens Screwbean Mesquite Fabaceae
Prosopis velutina Velvet Mesquite Fabaceae
Psorothamnus spinosus Smoke Tree Fabaceae
Randia echinocarpa Papache Rubiaceae
Ruellia californica Sonoran Desert Ruellia Acanthaceae
Ruellia peninsularis Baja Ruellia Acanthaceae
Sabal uresana Sonoran Palmetto Arecaceae
Senna pallida (Cassia biflora) Twin-flowered Senna Fabaceae
Serjania mexicana Serpents Tooth Vine Sapindaceae
Stegnosperma halimifolia Tinta Stegnospermataceae
Stenocereus alamosensis Sina, Octopus Cactus Cactaceae
Stenocereus thurberi Organ Pipe Cactus Cactaceae
Tabebuia chrysantha Amapa Amarilla Bignoniaceae
Tabebuia palmeri Amapa Colorado Bignoniaceae
Tecoma stans Yellow Bells Bignoniaceae
Vallesia baileyana Nacapule Jasmine Apocynaceae
Ziziphus obtusifolia Gray Thorn Rhamnaceae