If you think desert plants are ugly plants that can only thrive in dry areas, then youre wrong.
These plants have found their way into homes and now make an important part of gardening plants.
One reason whylandscapers now love these plantsis that they preserve water and are easy to care for.
If you have a desert garden, these will be the most interesting plants to grow.
But you must understand which specific categories can survive with your homes climatic condition.
This article outlines 27 different desert plants together with a brief explanation for each.
To help make your reading easy, weve divided them into five categories.
Lets have a look at these amazing plants to help you adorn your garden with the best.
Well, your garden doesnt have to take the ugly look if you choose to grow the following wildflowers.
The small tree doesnt grow above 30 feet.
Well, you dont need a very big tree to adorn your beautiful garden.
The beautiful tree will not only add color to your garden but also emit a beautiful fragrance.
The bees and all types of birds are attracted to this fragrance.
This means youll wake up to beautiful melodies from your garden every morning.
Get yourself a desert willow, and enjoy the beautiful summer shade.
The beautiful name was derived from the name Marys Gold.
But its importance is not only on this but what it adds to your garden.
Desert Marigold is mostly found on roadsides during the months of March to November.
Theyre indeed perfect ornament plants to have in your home.
Related:Marigold flower care
3.
Desert Lily (Hesperocallis)
Image credit:SLWorking2
This is not the true lily that we all know.
Desert lily got its name due to the fact that it produces lily-like white flowers.
Its commonly seen along desert roads of Southwest and Mexico.
The plant mostly grows during spring, with the seeds germinating in winter.
The beautiful white flowers also feature silver or greed mid stripe and produce an amazing fragrant at night.
Related:Types of lilies
4.
They are also found in Australia, where theyre used as beautiful ornament plants.
The flowers produce a very aromatic fragrance and perfect for butterfly gardening.
The flowers form bright purple and blue flowers with frosty gray foliage.
They grow in dense branches and will maintain the shape perfectly without pruning.
Their leaves release an aromatic fragrance that is sure to attract both humans and animals.
Hibiscus
Hibiscus is another wonderful desert flower that loves the sunlight and the warmth of the desert.
They grow all around the world.
These are the perennial and the tropical hibiscus.
Well, thats not going to happen.
There is a lot to eat in the desert, thanks to the work of nature.
Here are different types of edible plants you should never be afraid to try out.
Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia)
Prickly pear is a famous dessert food.
The tree produces edible flowers, fruits, and pads.
you’ve got the option to comfortably enjoy them after carefully cleaning and removing the spines.
The pads act as an important source of food, while the pears make sweet and juicy fruits.
They produce essential nutrients such as Vitamin C and fiber.
Apart from being a delicacy, prickly pears also form a beautiful garden plant.
They produce a beautiful green color during spring but can appear wilted in winter.
ensure the plant receives full sun and grows in well-drained soil.
Related:How to propagate Prickly Pear Cactus
8.
The tree produces edible fruits that have served the natives for years.
Theyre also used to prepare jelly and jam.
The tree also makes a beautiful garden ornament thanks to its ease of care.
It produces beautiful flowers that bloom at night and close during the day to protect it from heat.
The flowers form yellow and white colors.
The tree can serve your garden for many years with very little care.
Cholla (Cylindropuntia)
Cholla comes in different varieties, and most of them are edible.
The natives eat the immature flower buds, non-woody joints, and ripened fruit.
The beautiful desert tree produces fruits that somehow resemble strawberries.
Their joints are eaten raw and taste a little like kiwi.
However, you have to be very careful with jumping cholla because it can throw its spines at you.
The spines are very painful when they prickle your skin and can be hard to remove from clothes.
Most cholla varieties are covered in nasty spines that you must remove carefully before eating.
Mesquite
At a glance, you wont even imagine that this plant with smoky flowers can form something edible.
But youll be proven wrong the moment you find out the uses of this beautiful desert plant.
The plant produces a special wood that is used to smoke meat.
They emit some earthly flavor in the smoke that gives the meat a special taste.
Apart from that, the mesquite plant produces pods that look like garden peas.
Theyre also a good choice for people with diabetes thanks to their glycemic index.
Youll recognize this desert plant with its many spiky leaves all around it.
you’ve got the option to eat the fruits raw but are more delicious when grilled.
The leaves of this plant are also edible.
They appear a little oily.
You have to remove the skin, boil the inside, and then make a delicious vegetable.
It looks like every part of yucca is edible because you might eat the roots too.
Some desert plants are extremely poisonous.
Some can cause absent stomach or allergies.
Stay away from those with milky sap.
Dont touch any red beans.
To be safe, stay away from any plant you know nothing about.
Here are those plants that you shouldnt touch in the desert.
The plant produces fruits with spines.
It has a hallucinogenic effect, which has tempted many people to experience it.
It causes hallucination, confusion, rapid heart rate, and inability to sweat or urinate.
The effects can last many hours to days, depending on the amount ingested.
Datura can even result in death in extreme cases.
Youll recognize this plant with its leaves and flowers, which are six inches long.
It produces beautiful white or pink flowers that are also known as the devils trumpets.
The entire plant grows about two feet tall.
The desert plant is dangerous to both humans and animals.
Like datura, its also a hallucinogen that has tempted many people to experience.
The plant has beautiful purple flowers with a nice fragrance.
They also have woody pods with red seeds.
But dont let it attract you with its beauty because its very toxic.
The toxic component of this plant is cytosine.
The component has similar effects on nicotine.
Chewing it can cause nausea, fast heart rate, seizures, muscle weakness, and hallucination.
They produce beautiful picking flowers.
The flowers bloom in late spring and early summer.
They then dry up, giving room to hairy bean-like pods.
A bite of these pods is enough to kill an animal or a child.
Children are the most vulnerable to this plant; hence you should not grow it near them.
Also, be careful about the leaves because they can also cause serious skin irritation.
You should also be careful with the spines because they have very sharp edges that can prickle the skin.
Related:Types of locust trees
15.
Desert Tobacco (Nicotiana obtusifolia)
Desert tobacco is a pretty looking plant but can be very dangerous.
The plant blooms in spring.
It blossoms with greenish-white or pale yellow flowers with trumpet shape.
Its seeds are small and brown.
The plant itself is sticky and covered with small hairs.
The nightshade family plant contains nicotine and alkaloids, which are very dangerous substances.
Desert tobacco is poisonous to both animals and people.
Its lethal effects vary with the size and age of the animals and humans.
Despite being poisonous, the plant can be used in ceremonies, medicine, and a source of pleasure.
Theyre also used for landscaping.
Desert Rose (Adenium obesum)
Desert rose is also known as Adenium.
It features a smooth and grey back.
Despite being among the dangerous plants, its cultivated as a garden ornament.
Its also an attractive evergreen houseplant.
Its a desert plant that prefers to grow in dry seasons, well-drained soils, and part shade.
They require very little maintenance.
The beautiful plant produces rose-like flowers with pink, white, and red colors.
Because of their aesthetic appeal, you might be tempted to bring them home.
However, the plant is lethal to humans and pets.
Be very careful if you have children and pets around.
It contains potent toxins that can kill if injected in large amounts.
The areas experience a lot of snow and are very cold for many plants to survive.
But theyre still plants that survive though theyve mostly deciduous with spiny foliage.
The unique plants have various adaptation mechanisms that make them survive the harsh tundra climate.
Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata)
Sagebrush is one of the dominant cold desert plants.
They only grow to a height of half feet to four feet.
They grow well in salty soil.
The plant is most common in the Great Basin because these are the areas with large salt deposits.
Youll recognize this plant with its grey leaves and pale yellow flowers.
The flowers resemble sunflowers.
Rubber Rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa)
This is a cold desert plant native to the Colorado Plateau.
They can get moisture and salt.
Their leaves and stems are coated with a layer of trichomes that keep them insulated.
When mature, the trees are about one to four feet tall.
They have yellow, green flowers that bloom from June to September.
you’ve got the option to plant Rubber Rabbitbrush in your garden.
They adapt to different soil types but can do well in acidic to alkaline soil.
Tufted Saxifrage (Saxifraga cespitosa)
Image credit:Tufted Saxifrage
This is a small perennial desert plant.
They have erect flowers with thick mats.
They have thick and hairy foliage with tips divided into three lobes.
Youll mostly find this plant in rocky slopes and along crevices of the desert areas.
They almost carpet the ground, protecting them from the harsh climate of the cold desert.
They develop an adaption allowing them to adapt well to the tundra climate.
One reason for their survival is because theyre covered with silky hairs providing perfect insulation for the flowers.
The second adaption is the closeness to the ground, making it escape the cold winds.
The plant has very beautiful and bell-shaped flowers that consist of sepals.
It also forms dissected leaves and plumed seed heads.
These qualities make it perfect as an ornament plant.
The plant developed thick and leathery textured leaves that help it conserve moisture.
It also has brown hair that collects moisture from the fog to support its survival.
The plant can also dodge predators thanks to its ledol substance that paralyzes predators.
The plant can also survive a fire outbreak as it sprouts from the roots.
All these adaptations help the plant survive the cold climate.
This is all thanks to their beauty and ease of management.
There are many options to choose from in terms of color, shapes, and sizes.
If youre looking for some ideas, then here are common succulent desert plants for your garden.
They come with golden yellow spines with a striking flower on top.
Golden barrel plants grow very slowly and are scarce.
But once you land yourself one, you could have it in your garden for a long time.
Another thing special about this plant is that theyre disease-free and not easily attacked by pests.
They are also edible plants.
Medicinal Aloe (Aloe vera)
Who doesnt know the Aloe vera plant?
These are very popular plants loved for their medicinal purposes around the world.
Theyre also important ornament plants.
If you havent seen the plant itself, then youve probably seen it indicated in skincare products and ointments.
They serve this purpose so well, thanks to their medically active photochemistry.
Medicinal Aloe is a stemless plant with thick flesh and green fleshy leaves.
They produce pendulous flowers with serrated leaves.
The plants are popular globally thanks because they can easily grow in arid regions.
From a close look, youll notice that the specks adorning this beautiful cactus are tiny little spines.
Well, the little spines can become a little stubborn when they catch your skin or clothes.
But this doesnt mean they dont make beautiful plants for your garden.
The plants are also very easy to plant, and even a kid can care for them.
The plants appear like large rosettes with a look similar to that of an artichoke.
They form a beautiful round shape and tight whorl-like foliage neatly arranged.
The drought-tolerant plants can grow so well in your garden and can last up to 15 years.
They can serve your garden for a very long time if grown in good soil and well-irrigated.
The amazing succulent is native to Northern Mexico.
This evergreen plant thrives well in the desert.
Thanks to its drought-resistant nature, the plant has worked so well as an ornament for many homes.
The plant forms a spoon-shaped base with a short trunk hence the name.
It has a flowering stem that rises slightly above the foliage and produces straw-colored flowers small in size.
The plant is native to Southern Africa.
The beautiful stone creates a beautiful blend of nature and has a unique way to protect itself from predators.
The living stone plant looks exactly like pebbles or small stones.
But from a closer look, theyre actually living plants.
Their thick stones are capable of storing water for a long time.
They grow extremely slow and can take years to feel the pots with leaves.
Theyll, however,die if you water them too often.
Each of the plants is beautiful and unique in their own way.
However, its important to understand how every desert plant grows and unique uses before choosing one.
You must know which one is good for the home garden and which one to keep away.
With the above list, youll probably differentiate an edible desert plant and a poisonous see one.
