Native plants for Luna County, New Mexico
470 native plants recorded in Luna County, New Mexico
The USDA plant database has 643 plants recorded growing wild in Luna County. 470 of them are native to the lower 48, and 35 are introduced species that this page leaves out.
By type: 194 wildflowers and herbs, 65 grasses and sedges, 82 shrubs, 78 low woody plants, 34 trees, 17 vines. USDA has rated sun, soil and water needs for 68 of them (14%), and only those can be matched to a spot below. Pinnate false threadleaf (Schkuhria pinnata), Tapertip cupgrass (Eriochloa acuminata) and 1 more are also recorded as introduced.
What fits each kind of spot in Luna County
| Spot | Rated to fit | Rated not to | Unrated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun all day | 68 | 0 | 402 |
| Half shade | 65 | 3 | 402 |
| Under trees | 57 | 11 | 402 |
| Heavy clay | 28 | 40 | 402 |
| Sandy, drains fast | 57 | 11 | 402 |
| Never watered | 59 | 9 | 402 |
| Stays soggy | 9 | 59 | 402 |
Sun all day in Luna County: 68 rated natives
22 grasses and sedges, 17 shrubs, 14 trees, 7 wildflowers and herbs, 6 low woody plants, 2 vines. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- American vetch (Vicia americana) vines
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Colorado four o'clock (Mirabilis multiflora) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Fairyduster (Calliandra eriophylla) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Illinois bundleflower (Desmanthus illinoensis) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Lewis flax (Linum lewisii) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Plains pricklypear (Opuntia polyacantha) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Rough menodora (Menodora scabra) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial
Half shade in Luna County: 65 rated natives
20 grasses and sedges, 17 shrubs, 13 trees, 7 wildflowers and herbs, 6 low woody plants, 2 vines. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- American vetch (Vicia americana) vines
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Colorado four o'clock (Mirabilis multiflora) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Fairyduster (Calliandra eriophylla) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Illinois bundleflower (Desmanthus illinoensis) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Lewis flax (Linum lewisii) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Plains pricklypear (Opuntia polyacantha) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Rough menodora (Menodora scabra) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Scarlet globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · high shade tolerance
Under trees in Luna County: 57 rated natives
18 grasses and sedges, 16 shrubs, 10 trees, 6 low woody plants, 6 wildflowers and herbs, 1 vines. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- American vetch (Vicia americana) vines
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Colorado four o'clock (Mirabilis multiflora) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Fairyduster (Calliandra eriophylla) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Illinois bundleflower (Desmanthus illinoensis) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Lewis flax (Linum lewisii) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Plains pricklypear (Opuntia polyacantha) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Rough menodora (Menodora scabra) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Scarlet globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial
Heavy clay in Luna County: 28 rated natives
11 grasses and sedges, 6 shrubs, 5 wildflowers and herbs, 4 trees, 1 low woody plants, 1 vines. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Illinois bundleflower (Desmanthus illinoensis) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Plains pricklypear (Opuntia polyacantha) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Western white clematis (Clematis ligusticifolia) vines
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Lyreleaf greeneyes (Berlandiera lyrata) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 4 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Golden crownbeard (Verbesina encelioides) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth - Alkali sacaton (Sporobolus airoides) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 1 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial
Sandy, drains fast in Luna County: 57 rated natives
19 grasses and sedges, 16 shrubs, 12 trees, 6 low woody plants, 2 vines, 2 wildflowers and herbs. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- American vetch (Vicia americana) vines
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Colorado four o'clock (Mirabilis multiflora) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Fairyduster (Calliandra eriophylla) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Illinois bundleflower (Desmanthus illinoensis) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Lewis flax (Linum lewisii) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Plains pricklypear (Opuntia polyacantha) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Rough menodora (Menodora scabra) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Scarlet globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial
Never watered in Luna County: 59 rated natives
18 grasses and sedges, 16 shrubs, 11 trees, 6 low woody plants, 6 wildflowers and herbs, 2 vines. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- American vetch (Vicia americana) vines
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high drought tolerance - Colorado four o'clock (Mirabilis multiflora) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high drought tolerance - Fairyduster (Calliandra eriophylla) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high drought tolerance - Plains pricklypear (Opuntia polyacantha) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · high drought tolerance - Rough menodora (Menodora scabra) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · high drought tolerance - Scarlet globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · high drought tolerance - Banana yucca (Yucca baccata) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 4 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high drought tolerance - Cliff fendlerbush (Fendlera rupicola) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high drought tolerance
Stays soggy in Luna County: 9 rated natives
5 grasses and sedges, 2 wildflowers and herbs, 2 trees. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Vine mesquite (Panicum obtusum) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · takes saturated soil - Alkali sacaton (Sporobolus airoides) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Scratchgrass (Muhlenbergia asperifolia) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Frank's sedge (Carex frankii) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2 ft mature · perennial · takes saturated soil - Smallwing sedge (Carex microptera) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2 ft mature · perennial · takes saturated soil - Narrowleaf willow (Salix exigua) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 10 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · takes saturated soil - Nuttall's povertyweed (Monolepis nuttalliana) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 0.8 ft mature · rapid growth
Natives Luna County has that most of New Mexico does not
31 natives here are on file in no more than 2 of New Mexico's 33 counties. A few of them:
- Singleleaf pinyon (Pinus monophylla): only here
- Bigelow's amaranth (Amaranthus bigelovii): only here
- Wright's dutchman's pipe (Aristolochia wrightii): only here
- Bartlett daisy (Bartlettia scaposa): only here
- Apache Pass spiderling (Boerhavia pterocarpa): only here
- Swallen's curly-mesquite (Hilaria swallenii): only here
- Slender janusia (Janusia gracilis): only here
- Luna County globemallow (Sphaeralcea procera): only here
- Lovegrass tridens (Tridens eragrostoides): only here
- Frank's sedge (Carex frankii): 2 counties
Where to start in Luna County
If you have only one spot to fill, sun all day is where Luna County gives you the most rated choice (68 plants), and American vetch (Vicia americana) is the easiest start on that list. Stays soggy is the hard one here: 9 rated plants, so for that spot it is worth asking a local native-plant society about the 402 unrated natives too.