Popular desert plants include the Palo Verde tree, the Queen Victoria agave, the golden poppy, and the Mexican thread grass. It is well-adapted for living in desert conditions, storing water in its thick stems, and shedding its foliage during the dry season. This small tree, also known as ‘Chilopsis’, features beautiful flowers, but is not actually a willow; the name comes from a similarity between its leaves and the leaves of a traditional willow. With a succulent, spine-covered stem, it could easily be mistaken for a cactus. Don’t be fooled; the bushman’s hat is not a cactus. (Photosynthesis requires the green pigment chlorophyll.). The pads are four to six inches long, 9 inches wide, and .75 inches thick and are covered with spines. Extremely sparse vegetation in the wash of the Gamkab river, southern Namibia. Prickly pear species such as Opuntia engelmannii (the cow tongue prickly pear) and Opuntia basilaris (the beavertail prickly pear) are common in the deserts of the southwestern United States. Originating in southern Africa, where they receive less than 2 inches of rainwater a year, these plants are well adapted to dry climates. The female moth lays its eggs in the Joshua tree’s flowers where the hatched larvae eat the seeds to survive. The Ocotillo prefers to grow in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of Southeast California to West Texas and south into Mexico. From terrariums to your garden, it seems that you can grow succulents almost anywhere. 13 Amazing Plants That Do Not Need Drainage Holes, Do Deer Eat Petunias? The deserts that are in Greenland, Antarctic, and the Nearctic ecozone, are called cold deserts. Below is a list of well-known desert plants from all around the world. Individuals often live for over 150 years. The plant’s roots extend up to 36 ft (11 m) into the desert soil, providing stability and maximum water-collecting ability. Their seeds then lie dormant in the soil until conditions are once again favorable for growth. However, it is the perfect addition to a xeriscape or drought-tolerant desert garden, because it is great for attracting birds and butterflies. Desert wildflowers provide a refreshing pop of color in the dry desert landscape. does an excellent show of bringing the beauty of lilies to desert areas in the Southwestern United States and Mexico. Kangaroo paw is the name given to a number of plants in the family Haemodoraceae, whose flowers resemble the paws of a kangaroo. Coastal Deserts. It has smooth, cream or pink bark, and produces white flowers in the summer. In the wild desert, the tree plays a key role in the procreation of new plant life as it provides necessary shade and protection for young Saguaro cacti and other vulnerable desert plants to grow. Soaptree Yucca is able to withstand bursts of cold weather, but its love for sunlight is what makes it at home in the desert. It has circular pads arising from a thick, round trunk. It is a native plant of the Sonoran Desert and can be found throughout southwestern Arizona, USA, south into Sonora and Baja California, Mexico. This is because someone whose clothing becomes caught in its spines has to stop (for a minute) to free themselves! Today, dates remain an important food crop for many tropical regions. From the green Palo Verde tree, to the flowering ocotillo shrub, many of these plants are popular choices for desert garden landscapes. The creosote bush is between 3 and 9 ft (1 and 2.7 m) in height and produces yellow flowers. These channel dew towards the plant’s roots. Extremely hot during the day, bitterly cold during the night, and having very little rainfall throughout the year, deserts are home only to a select few organisms capable of enduring these extreme conditions. These guys can be sneaky – their spines carry tons of little spikes that can act like Velcro and attach to everything. The saguaro is the largest cactus of the United States. Desert plants grow in one of the harshest environments on Earth, and therefore benefit from special adaptations that help them to survive. When you think of the desert, you might not associate it with fertility, but there are a number of different plants – including cactuses – that inhabit the planet’s driest regions. It most often looks like dead twigs, but actually sprouts lush leaves after rainfall and has a beautiful red flower that follows. This perennial bears long thread-like leaves that feather at the ends. Its contrasting white striations against its dark green leaves makes it a popular houseplant and a trendy way to decorate your home or even office desk. Belonging to the same family as the daisy, this flower blooms nearly all year long from spring to fall, and thrives in hardiness zones 8-11. Unlike many common desert trees, the tree aloe is fast-growing. Certain desert-living species of milkweed and spurge resemble cacti. As long as you provide these drought-tolerant plants with good drainage, sandy soil, and sunshine, they will thrive for years. Species in both the genus Echinocactus and the genus Ferocactus are known as barrel cacti. It is the largest of the yuccas and grows only in the Mojave Desert. The species can hold a large amount of water in its succulent stem, which is filled with sponge-like tissue. Scientifically known as Agave victoria-reginae, this agave is native to the Chihuahuan desert of Mexico. A direct product of evolution, this is truly a fascinating plant to have in your succulent collection! The Mexican thread grass is a popular choice amongst landscapers not only for its drought-tolerance, but for its tendency to be naturally pest free. It gets its name from a local myth that says the plant is half-human. Upon first glance, they look just like small stones or pebbles. The mulga has needle-like phyllodes (adapted leaf-stems), which are thick, and covered in tiny hairs to prevent water loss from evaporation. The flowers are purple or light pink in color that blooms at night and are closed during the heat of midday. Discover well-known plants found in a desert and the characteristics of species that grow in the harsh desert biome. These flowers start blooming from March and stay till November. Growing to heights in excess of 40 ft. (12m), often with one or more ‘arms’ projecting from its sides, the saguaro is one of the most distinctive desert plants of North America. (And Ways To Protect Peonies), Do Deer Eat Roses? The term xeriscape is derived from the Greek word xeros, which means “dry,” and is a form of landscaping that conserves water through […] It has a lifespan of 200 years. Like many other succulents, the paddle plant is a monocarpic plant, which means that the plant will sprout a flower when it is about to reach the end of its lifecycle. It is a small, round shrub about 1 1/2 feet tall and 2 feet wide which grows at altitudes of 1,000 to 3,000 feet on an open flat, and steep, gravelly hillsides. It is native to the western region of the United States, from the coast of Oregon down to Baja California. Also known as red pancakes, the paddle plant’s funny nickname is derived from its large, bright red, disk-shaped leaves. The flowers are deep blue in color. The rock morning glory is a rare creeping plant found in desert regions of northern Australia. It is the most common plant of the Mojave and Sonoron deserts that grow as a low, roundish mound 2 to 5 feet high. In hotter summer regions, the flowers will die after blooming in early spring, and the plant will remain dormant for the remainder of the summer. The flowers of Hedgehog Cactus are a beautiful deep red, with many petals that form the shape of a cup. The world’s deserts are harsh, inhospitable places. Many desert plants are succulents. Common examples of these are broad drainage lines or washes. When tree aloe is planted in a garden, it should have ample space and be planted away from nearby buildings. Susan is inspired by gardening, gardens, plants and flowers. This very slow-growing tree resembles a bush, but can actually reach over 20 feet in height. This is known as a desert yam, or bush potato. This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.