Blog – Page 2 – New Mexico Wild Plants Companion

Aldama cordifolia

Aldama cordifoliaHeart-leaf Golden-eye Note: distinguished by short leaf petioles; compare with Viguiera dentata

April 14, 2026

Stenogonum salsuginosum

Stenogonum salsuginosumSalty Buckwheat Note: nw NM; desert scrub, sandstone bluff habitats

April 13, 2026

Dalea jamesii

Dalea jamesiiJames’ Prairie Clover Note: distinguished by having 3 leaflets; compare with Dalea wrighti

April 13, 2026

Portulaca umbraticola

Portulaca umbraticolaWing-pod Purslane

April 12, 2026

Portulaca oleracea

Portulaca oleraceaCommon / Garden Purslane

April 12, 2026

Portulaca halimoides

Portulaca halimoidesDesert / Silk-cotton Purslane

April 12, 2026

Dalea nana

Dalea nanaDwarf Prairie Clover

April 11, 2026

Euphorbia brachycera

Euphorbia brachyceraHorned SpurgeShort-horn Spurge Note: compare with similar Woodland Spurge [Euphorbia lurida]

April 2, 2026

Perityle quinqueflora

Perityle quinquefloraFive-flowered Rock Daisy Note: se.NM; grows in crevices of rockfaces

March 23, 2026

Pastinaca sativa

Pastinaca sativaWild Parsnip

March 23, 2026

Paronychia jamesii

Paronychia jamesiiJames’ Nailwort Note: growth habit is somewhat matted but not cushion-like; the denser cushion-like Paronychia sessiliflora is found in northern NM

March 23, 2026

Oenothera serrulataYellow Sundrops Note: square buds, shorter petals than Oenothera hartweggi; the disk-shaped stigma does not extend beyond the filaments, and leaves usually have tiny teeth. Berlandier’s Sundrops are similar but the stigma extends well-beyond the filament. [Notes from George Miller’s website]

March 23, 2026

Oenothera hartwegii

Oenothera hartwegiiHartweg’s Sundrops Note: tends to be a sprawling, densely leafy plant; buds are rounded and cone-shaped. Similar species Oenothera serrulata requires close observation for comparison

March 22, 2026

Hieracium fendleri

Hieracium fendleriYellow Hawkweed Note: pine forest habitat

March 21, 2026

Heterosperma pinnatum

Heterosperma pinnatumWingpetal

March 21, 2026

Gymnosperma glutinosum

Gymnosperma glutinosumGumheadSticky Selloa

March 21, 2026

Coryphantha macromeris

Coryphantha macromerisNipple Beehive Cactus

March 4, 2026

Grusonia clavata

Grusonia clavataClub Cholla Cactus

March 1, 2026

Opuntia phaeacantha

Opuntia phaeacanthaBrown-spine Prickly Pear Cactus

March 1, 2026

Opuntia macrocentra

Opuntia macrocentraLong-spine Prickly Pear Cactus Note: pads may be purplish when plant is stressed

March 1, 2026

Opuntia engelmannii

Opuntia engelmanniiEngelmann’s Prickly Pear Cactus

March 1, 2026

Opuntia polyacantha

Opuntia polyacanthaHair-spine Prickly Pear CactusPlains Prickly Pear

March 1, 2026

Opuntia polyacantha var. hysticina

Opuntia polyacantha var. hysticinaGrizzly Bear CactusPorcupine Prickly Pear Cactus

March 1, 2026

Opuntia basilaris

Opuntia basilarisBeavertail Prickly Pear Cactus

March 1, 2026

Glandulicactus uncinatus

Glandulicactus uncinatusChihuahuan Hook Spine Cactus

March 1, 2026

Yucca torreyi

Yucca torreyiTorrey(‘s) Yucca

February 23, 2026

Yucca intermedia

Yucca intermediaNarrowleaf Yucca Note: sometimes named as Yucca baileya var. intermedia, considered as intergraded plants; similar to Yucca baileyi found in northwest NM; shorter Yucca glauca found in eastern NM; and Yucca angustissima

February 23, 2026

Yucca glauca

Yucca glaucaSoapweed YuccaGreat Plains Yucca Note: wide range in eastern NM; blooms begin within the rosette of leaves; may hybridize with other Yucca species

February 23, 2026

Yucca elata

Yucca elataSoaptree Yucca

February 23, 2026

Yucca baccata

Yucca baccataBanana YuccaBroadleaf Yucca

February 23, 2026

Mammillaria meiacantha

Mammillaria meiacanthaLittle Nipple CactusPancake Nipple Cactus Note: similar / related to Mammillaria heyderi, but with fewer, thicker spines than M. heyderi

February 23, 2026

Agave parryi

Agave parryiParry’s AgaveParry’s Century Plant Note: flowers are reddish as they start to open, yellow when more open

February 23, 2026

Mammillaria grahamii

Mammillaria grahamiiGraham’s Nipple CactusArizona Fishhook Cactus Note: some sources give a new Genus name Cochemiea grahamii

February 21, 2026

Veronica anagallis-aquatica

Veronica anagallis-aquaticaWater Speedwell Note: streambanks and wet meadows; leaves without petioles, clasping stems; American Speedwell Veronica americana in the same habitat has leaves with petioles, usually toothed

February 20, 2026

Nama xylopodum

Nama xylopodumYellow-seed Fiddleleaf Note: New Mexico rare plant; se.NM; low growth habit in crevices and rock faces in the Guadalupe Mountains; flower color varies

February 13, 2026

Agastache micrantha

Agastache micranthaWhite (Giant) Hyssop Note: mountain habitats; square stem (Mint family); less common than the related Agastache pallidiflora with pink/purple flowers

January 25, 2026