Welcome to our Waterwise Demonstration Gardens!

Cactus Garden

Our mostly native cactus garden was generously donated and planted by the Cactus Rescue Project and requires no irrigation.

Xeriscape Garden

Our non-cactus garden was donated by the Santa Fe Master Gardeners which requires minimal irrigation especially now that the plants have become more established.

Plant List

Click HERE to see our plant list which includes common and Latin names (PDF version also available). See photos with short descriptions below.

Tree Guide

Click HERE to see the City's Recommended Trees for Santa Fe, a tree guide developed by the Santa Fe Municipal Tree Board.

GET INSPIRED!

 

Below are most of the plants, shrubs, and trees growing in non-cactus Xeriscape Demonstration Garden. To see a downloadable list of these recommended plants click HERE.

Save water outside and support our pollinators by planting native and other xeric species in your yard!

Chocolate Flower

CHOCOLATE FLOWER (Berlandiera lyrata) is a perennial herb and member of the Aster family (Asteraceae). Low water use. Prefers sandy, gravelly soils, roadsides.
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Moonshine Yarrow

MOONSHINE YARROW (Achillea Hybrid) is an herbaceous plant with bright yellow blooms and silvery foliage. It's cold hardy and drought tolerant. Pollinators: attracts honeybees, bumble bees, and many other pollinators. Habitat: highly adaptable in its soil and water needs, full sun.
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Blue Flax

BLUE FLAX (Linum lewisii). Native perennial herb easy to start from seed. Low water use in full sun/partial shade.
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Prairie Verbena

PRAIRIE VERBENA (Berlandiera lyrata), also called VERVAIN, is a native sprawling groundcover that grows well in sandy, gravelly, clay soils, hills, drainages, roadsides, disturbed areas in Santa Fe's high desert region. Low water use in full sun.
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Mojave Sage

MOJAVE SAGE (Salvia pachyphylla) is a sage with silvery-green foliage and blue/purple flowers that attract hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. This fragrant low maintenance plant does well in full sun with low water (requires soil with good drainage).
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Golden Spur Columbine

GOLDEN SPUR COLUMBINE (Aquilegia chrysantha) is a native plant will grow best in shade to partial shade in moist sandy, gravelly loam soils, etc. It's large yellow flowers attracts hummingbirds. Tolerates low water.
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Orange Butterfly Weed

BUTTERFLY WEED (Asclepias tuborosa), also called Orange Milkweed, is a member of the milkweed family Asclepiadaceae. This herbaceous perennial is native to New Mexico and, as the name implies, its bright fragrant flowers attract butterflies. It also attracts bees and hummingbirds. Grows best in a hot sunny site with sandy soil. Our xeric garden features both orange and yellow Butterfly Weed.
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Switchgrass

SWITCHGRASS (Panicum virgatum), native to the Santa Fe area, is a clump-forming, warm-season grass. It grows along roadsides where moisture collects. Can grow in a range of soil types including sand, loam, and clay. Native grasses support pollinators by providing shelter for nesting and overwintering.
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Pink Evening Primrose

PINK EVENING PRIMROSE (Oenothera speciosa) is a native plant primrose can be grown in full sun with low to medium water use. It grows in a range well-drained soils and it's showy flowers make it an excellent ground cover in sunny areas.
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Three Leaf Sumac

THREE LEAF SUMAC (Rhus trilobata) is a low, spreading, much-branched deciduous shrub that produces yellowish flowers in clustered spikes. They have low water needs. Plant in sun with partial shade in sandy, gravelly or other well-drained soils. The shrub produces berries that provide food for birds and mammals.
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Littleleaf Mountain Mahogany

LITTLELEAF MOUNTAIN MOHOGANY (Cercocarpus intricatus) is a native shrub with silvery evergreen foliage that provides year round bird habitat. This xeric shrub can be planted in full sun and is good for dryland plantings.
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Golden Currant

GOLDEN CURRANT (Ribes aurem) is a deciduous shrub that produces fragrant yellow flowers in early spring that become red-black currants in summer. Can tolerate a range of different growing conditions but prefers partial shade and regular water. When older and well established, it is quite drought tolerant.
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Don't Overlook Cactus!

Cactus Gardens are becoming increasingly popular in Santa Fe. We have a beautiful Cactus Demonstration Garden that consists mostly of native species, installed by the Cactus Rescue Project in 2018.

Whether you create designated areas as cactus gardens or just spread cacti throughout your landscape, it helps create lots of depth and texture to your overall landscape. Offering gorgeous blossoms that attract pollinators, cacti provide an important source of food and shelter for pollinators and wildlife in our urban forest. They are incredibly drought hardy and only need once-a-month waterings in the summer.

Curl Leaf Mountain Mahogany

Similar to Littleleaf Mahogany, CURL LEAF MOUNTAIN MOHOGANY (Cercocarpus ledifolius) is also a low, spreading, much-branched deciduous shrub that produces yellowish flowers in clustered spikes. They have low water needs. Plant in sun with partial shade in sandy, gravelly or other well-drained soils. The shrub produces berries that provide food for birds and mammals.
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Silver Buffaloberry

SILVER BUFFALOBERRY (Shepherdia argentea) is a native mound-shaped shrub that can grow up to 20 ft tall, becoming tree-like. It blooms in the spring. Plant in rocky, sandy or clayey soils and give it low to medium water in full sun. This shrub has been been given Special Value designation by the Xerces Society - it's been recognized by pollination ecologists as attracting large numbers of native bees.
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Desert Willow

DESERT WILLOW (Chilopsis linearis) is a small tree or large shrub native to New Mexico that produces large funnel shaped flowers. Its beautiful blooms, fast growth, drought tolerance, and ease of maintenance make it an ideal tree/shrub for any yard. Prefers well-drained limestone soils but also does well in sands, loams, clays, caliches, granitic, and rocky soils.
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Purple Aster

HOARY TANSYASTER or PURLE ASTER (Machaeranthera canescens syn. Dieteria canescens) is a native drought tolerant herb that grows well in medium to coarse textured soils. It's considered a valuable late summer and early fall pollinator food source.
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Bush Sage / Raspberry Delight

RASPBERRY DELIGHT / BUSH SAGE (Salvia Hybrid), is a cold hardy and xeric Saliva hybrid that produces bright raspberry or cherry colored flowers all summer long. It's low maintenance, likes full sun, low water use, and it attracts hummingbirds.
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Silky Threadgrass

SILKY THREADGRASS (Nassella tenuissima), also called Mexican Feathergrass, is a fast growing native grass that's very drought tolerant and easy to establish. It will grow in almost any soil type in full to partial sun. Native grasses support pollinators by providing shelter for nesting and overwintering.
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Narrow Leaf Yucca

NARROW LEAF YUCCA (Yucca angustissima ) is native to the Santa Fe region and is a member of the Agave family. Cold hardy and drought tolerant, it grows well in sandy soils and rocky hillsides and produces white or cream colored flowers along a stalk. There are four different varieties that are distinguished by leaf length and flower characteristics.
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Sulphur Buckwheat

SULPHUR BUCKWHEAT (Eriogonum umbellatum “Kannah Creek”) is an evergreen ground cover that blooms in late spring and early summer, attracting bees, birds, and butterflies. It's drought tolerant and does well in full sun and low water.
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Rocky Mountain Penstemon

ROCKY MOUNTAIN PENSTEMON (Penstemon strictus), also called Beardtongue, grows in most well-drained soil types with full sun exposure and low water. It's drought tolerant and it attracts bees and hummingbirds.
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Scarlet Globemallow

SCARLET GLOBEMALLOW (Sphaeralcea coccinea) is a low growing native wildflower native to the Santa Fe region. It grows in hot, dry areas in poor soil. It blooms from spring to fall and is visited by bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.
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Desert Globemallow

DESERT GLOBEMALLOW (Sphaeralcea ambigua) or sometimes called Apricot Globemallow, is a native perennial shrub that grows well in alkaline soil, both sandy or clayey. It tolerates cold and is drought tolerant (though prefers more water than its cousin Scarlet Globemallow) and is good for a dry, sunny area. Spreads easily and attracts bees, butterflies and other pollinators.
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Bush Morning Glory

BUSH MORNING GLORY (Ipomea leptophylla) is a native plant with a large taproot, making it extremely well adapted to survive in arid regions. It grows in dry sandy soils and disturbed areas. It's very cold hardy and drought tolerant. It's funnel shaped flower attracts butterflies, moths, and long-tongued bees.
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Pine Leaf Penstemon

PINE LEAF PENSTEMON (Penstemon pinofolious) is native to Southwestern New Mexico that became a popular xeriscape plant. It grows in sandy soils, rocky crevices and open slopes. Hummingbirds are attracted to its elongated flowers which can be red, yellow, or salmon.
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Cliff Fendlerbush

CLIFF FENDLERBUSH (Fendlera rupicola) is a shrub that produces lots of small white flowers in the spring. It grows along rocky hillsides and does well in dry, well-drained, poor soils. Valuable to insect pollinators.
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Hummingbird Trumpet

HUMMINGBIRD TRUMPET (Zauschneria arizonica) is native throughout the Southwestern U.S. It's showy elongated flowers attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. It blooms in late summer and early fall. Cold hardy and drought tolerant once established. Plant in well-drained soil.
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Yellow Prairie Coneflower

YELLOW PRAIRIE CONEFLOWER (Ratibida pinnata), the red variety of which is called MEXICAN HAT, is a native wildflower is very drought tolerant and will grow in poor soil and abundantly reseeds itself. Great choice to plant along borders in sunny areas. They attracts lots of pollinators and feeding birds.
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Wine Cup / Poppy Mallow

WINE CUP / POPPY MALLOW (Callirhoe involucrata) is a perennial plant that blooms all summer long. It's native to the native to the sandy, gravelly soils of the Texas prairies but does well as a xeriscape plant. Cold hardy and drought tolerant.
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Firecracker Penstemon

FIRECRACKER PENSTEMON (Penstemon eatonii) is a native wildflower that grows in dry sandy, gravelly soils on mesas, in canyons, and along slopes. It's showy elongated flowers attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. It blooms in late spring and early summer. Cold hardy and drought tolerant.
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Purple Prairie Clover

PURPLE PRAIRIE CLOVER (Dalea purperea) is a native perennial wildflower that blooms throughout summer. It grows in sandy, gravelly soils, arroyos, and roadsides. It's purple flowers provides food for butterflies, bees and other pollinators. Low water use/drought tolerant. Plant in full sun.
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Autumn Sage

RED AUTUMN SAGE (Salvia gregii), sometimes called Cherry Sage, is a perennial plant that blooms continuously from spring to fall, attracting hummingbirds. It's cold hardy and drought tolerant. It thrives in poor soils and hot, sunny and dry conditions.
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Greenthread / Cota

GREENTHREAD / COTA (Thelesperma Spp) is a native wildflower that grows in dry sandy, gravelly soils on mesas and along arroyos banks. It blooms in summer and attracts a variety of insect pollinators. Drought tolerant plant that reseeds itself.
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Blue Spirea

BLUE MIST SPIREA (Caryopteris clandonensis) is a shrub that does well in the Santa Fe area. It blooms in late summer and is a good source of nectar for bees and butterflies. Low maintenance/low water use shrub that can be planted in full sun. Needs well-drained, non clayey soils.
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Desert Bluebells

DESERT BLUEBELLs (Phacella campanularia) is an annual low growing herb that blooms in spring and summer. Grows in well-drained, sandy or gravelly soil in full sun. Extremely drought tolerant and self sows. As a spring bloomer, it's an important food source for bees and other pollinators.
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Toadflax Penstemon

TOADFLAX PENSTEMON (Penstemon linarioides) is a native wildflower that grows in dry open woodland environments. It's been designated by the Xerces Society as Special Value to Native Bees for attracting large numbers of native bees.
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