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Plant Life Forms Chihuahuan Desert Uplands, including Albuquerque, Bernalillo, Socorro, Carrizozo, Roswell, central New Mexico valleys, Silver City David Cristiani
Why are so many “xeriscapes” objected to? It could be because 1) one or more plant forms are left out, due to people’s reluctance to use “stickery” or thorny plants, or 2) perfectly good plants are not used effectively. The result? A sea of bark mulch or gravel, with a random scattering of isolated plants with “sage” in their names, along with some grasses and wildflowers…a sparse, shrubby, or even weedy look, lacking all excitement. Carrie Nimmer, a Phoenix landscape designer, has cleverly described a different approach. She considers 5 basic plant life forms that need to be used together, each essential to a great landscape. Her plant life forms each contain a consistent set of patterns: 1) strategies to use and conserve water, 2) natural habitat and rooting habit, and 3) overall appearance. Leaving one form out (including the first form listed) is like expecting a car to run perfectly with one of its engine’s cylinders not firing, she said. Here is a local interpretation of Carrie’s 5 life forms, with a sampling of appropriate native or adapted plants grouped into each. They are listed based on how they respond after they have been established in the landscape. Identifying life forms really begins to promote appearances and sustainable landscapes. Most need little supplemental irrigation once they are established, an emerging trend in many southwestern gardens.
1. CAM / Sculpture Plants	+ Succulent foliage that conserves water by storing it for future use + Shallow, fine, yet extensive root system that takes advantage of light rains + Bold, signature plants that accent a space year-round
	Agave / Century Plant	Agave spp.
	Cholla	Cylindropuntia spp.
	Sotol / Desert Spoon	Dasylirion spp.
	Hedgehog Cactus	Echinocereus spp.
	Hesperaloe	Hesperaloe spp.
	Beargrass	Nolina spp.
	Prickly Pear	Opuntia spp.
	Yucca	Yucca spp.
	Adapted, non-native plants if natives are unavailable or won’t function:
2. Seasonally Deciduous Plants	+ Leaves that conserve water by defoliating during weather extremes + A deep root system that takes advantage of soaking rains + Plants that show seasonal weather changes through their long life spans
	Leadplant	Amorpha canescens
	*Netleaf Hackberry	Celtis reticulata
	*Desert Willow	Chilopsis linearis
	Chamisa	Chrysothamnus nauseosus
	Damianita	Chrysactinia mexicana
	Feather Dalea	Dalea formosa
	Apache Plume	Fallugia paradoxa
	Ocotillo	Fouquiera splendens
	Fragrant Ash	Fraxinus cuspidata
	Mariola	Parthenium incanum
	Honey Mesquite	Prosopis glandulosa / torreyana
	Broom Dalea	Psorothamnus scoparius
	Oak	Quercus spp.
	Sumac	Rhus spp.
	*Soapberry	Sapindus drummondii
	Adapted, non-native plants if natives are unavailable or won’t function:
	Chinese Pistache	Pistacia chinensis
	Winter Jasmine	Jasminum nudiflorum
	Russian Sage	Perovskia atriplicifolia
3. Drought Tolerant Evergreen Plants	+ Reduced leaf surfaces conserve water; if leaves drop, the plant dies + Deep, spreading roots that take advantage of light and soaking rains + Softer plants with a year-round presence of green foliage
	Sand Sage	Artemesia filifolia
	Saltbush	Atriplex spp.
	Mountain Mahogany	Cercocarpus ledifolius / breviflorus
	Cypress	Cupressus spp.
	Mormon Tea	Ephedra spp.
	Turpentine Bush	Ericameria laricifolia
	Juniper	Juniperus spp.
	Creosote Bush	Larrea tridentata
	Algerita	Mahonia haematocarpa
	Piñon	Pinus edulis
	Oak	Quercus spp.
	Sugarbush	Rhus ovata
	Rosemary	Rosmarinus spp.
	Rosewood	Vauquelinia spp.
	Adapted, non-native plants if natives are unavailable or won’t function:
4. Herbaceous / Seasonal Plants	+ Plants that die and reseed or return more than once to conserve water + A root system sized to take advantage of the rains it receives in it’s lifetime + Plants that show life for the season that favors them, then they go away
	*Hyssop	Agastache spp.
	Purple Threeawn	Aristida purpurea
	Grama Grass	Bouteloua spp.
	Buffalograss	Buchloe dactyloides
	Winecups	Callirhoe involucrata
	Desert Marigold	Baileya multiradiata
	Chocolate Flower	Berlandiera lyrata
	Blackfoot Daisy	Melampodium leucanthum
	Indian Ricegrass	Oryzopsis hymenoides
	Penstemon	Penstemon spp.
	Paperflower	Psilostrophe tagetina
	*Sage	Salvia spp.
	Threadleaf Groundsel	Senecio longilobus
	Globemallow	Sphaeralcea spp.
	Threadgrass	Nasella (Stipa) spp.
	Verbena	Glandularia (Verbena) spp.
	California Fuchsia	Zauschneria latifolia
	Adapted, non-native plants if natives are unavailable or won’t function:
5. Phreatophyte / Water Seeking Plants	+ Plants that love water, growing in moist arroyo and floodplain habitats + An root system extending into moist soil, tolerating occasional flooding + Plants whose forms often mimic the life-giving water they are near
	Arizona Alder	Alnus oblongifolia
	False Indigo	Amorpha fruticosa
	Yerba Mansa	Anemopsis californica
	Purple Coneflower	Echinacea purpurea
	*Desert Olive	Forestiera neomexicana
	Ash	Fraxinus spp.
	Guara	Guara lindheimeri
	Maxmillian Sunflower	Helianthus maxmillianii
	Arizona Walnut	Juglans major
	*Muhley Grass	Muhlenbergia spp.
	Sycamore	Platanus spp.
	Cottonwood	Populus spp.
	*Screwbean Mesquite	Prosopis pubescens
	Willow	Salix spp.
	Silver Buffaloberry	Sheperdia argentea
	*Sacaton	Sporobulus spp.
	Adapted, non-native plants if natives are unavailable or won’t function:
	*Denotes plants that can occupy other places in the landscape, but are shown in their most common form.
Other plant life form links: Bernalillo to Socorro, Carrizozo | East Mountain Area and Estancia Basin Truth or Consequences to El Paso, Alamogordo The Xeric Zone | Albuquerque, New Mexico USA | e-mail webmaster Copyright © 2000-2006 Quercus; Usage Policy