Southwest garden plants from the wild wild west love the heat, are drought-tolerant, and some can tolerate considerable cold, too.
Read More about Southwest Garden Plants
Acanthus sennii
Item #: 13718
Zones: 7b to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Ethiopia
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agapanthus 'Ellamae'
Item #: 3514
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agapanthus 'Stevie's Wonder'
Item #: 8250
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agapanthus 'Storm Cloud'
Item #: 1342
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 48" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agapanthus 'White Heaven' PP 15,811
Item #: 6390
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 30" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agastache 'Blue Fortune'
Item #: 3209
Zones: 3a to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agastache 'Peachie Keen' PP 25,886
Item #: 10635
Zones: 6a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agastache 'Rosie Posie' PP 25,857
Item #: 10636
Zones: 6a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave albopilosa
Item #: 9610
Zones: 8a to 10b, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave x amourifolia 'Twisted Tongue'
Item #: 13065
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave applanata 'Cream Spike'
Item #: 7241
Zones: 9a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 4" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave 'Bleached Blonde'
Item #: 9347
Zones: 9a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave bracteosa 'Daddy Longlegs'
Item #: 1922
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave bracteosa 'Squidget'
Item #: 10538
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave bracteosa 'Stingray' PP 30,280
Item #: 2167
Zones: 8a to 10b, possibly colder
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave 'Desert Love'
Item #: 12743
Zones: 7a to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave desmettiana 'Joe Hoak'
Item #: 7137
Zones: Tropical
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Unknown
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave flexispina
Item #: 5766
Zones: 7b to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 15" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave havardiana
Item #: 5007
Zones: 5a to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 20" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico, United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave isthmensis 'El Chichon'
Next crop available: 04/23/2021
Item #: 9577
Zones: Tropical
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave 'Kissho Kan Nishiki'
Item #: 7617
Zones: Tropical
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 15" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave x leopoldii 'Painted Nails'
Item #: 11099
Zones: 8a to 10b, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave x loferox 'Stairway to Heaven'
Item #: 9028
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave lophantha 'Multigreen'
Item #: 12172
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 11" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave lophantha 'Splendida'
Item #: 8014
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 11" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave multifilifera 'Starshine'
Item #: 9346
Zones: 8a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 15" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave x nickelima 'Shark Bite'
Item #: 9575
Zones: 8a to 11
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave nickelsiae
Item #: 4764
Zones: 7b to 10b, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 10" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave nizandensis 'Double Stripe'
Item #: 10638
Zones: Tropical
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 4" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave obscura 'Red Skyline'
Item #: 6071
Zones: 8b to 10b, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 15" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave ovatifolia 'Vanzie'
Item #: 3242
Zones: 7b to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 48" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave x ovatispina 'Blue Rapture'
Item #: 13061
Zones: 7b to 9b, probably colder
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave parrasana 'Globe'
Item #: 10236
Zones: 8a to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave parryi 'Border Guard'
Item #: 2948
Zones: 7b to 9b, possibly colder
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave parryi ssp. huachucensis 'Excelsior'
Item #: 7868
Zones: 7b to 9b, possibly colder
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico, United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave parryi ssp. truncata
Item #: 5247
Zones: 8a to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave parviflora 'Pin Up Girl'
Item #: 10802
Zones: 9a to 11
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico, United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave parviflora 'Pinpoint'
Item #: 9821
Zones: 9a to 11
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico, United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave potatorum 'Becky'
Item #: 10792
Zones: Tropical
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave potatorum 'Bluewinds'
Item #: 9340
Zones: Tropical
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 8" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave potatorum 'Glow Light'
Item #: 10277
Zones: 9b to 11
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 15" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave potatorum 'Snowfall'
Item #: 11705
Zones: Tropical
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 16" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave x protamericana 'Funky Toes'
Item #: 10777
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 48" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave x protamericana 'Silver Surfer'
Item #: 5135
Zones: 7b to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 60" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave x pseudoferox 'Bellville'
Item #: 7979
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 48" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave 'Ripple Effect' PP 30,281
Item #: 3607
Zones: 9a to 11
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave schidigera 'Royal Flush' PP 31,138
Item #: 14272
Zones: 9a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave schidigera 'Shiraito no Ōhi'
Item #: 7921
Zones: 9a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 15" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave simplex 'Snow Devil'
Item #: 10015
Zones: 9b to 11
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 20" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave 'Snow Glow'
Item #: 10640
Zones: 9a to 11
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave striata 'Live Wires'
Item #: 9335
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave 'Sun Glow'
Item #: 12501
Zones: 9a to 11
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave temacapulinensis
Item #: 15008
Zones: 8b to 9b, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 30" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave titanota 'Banana Peel'
Item #: 9348
Zones: 9a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave titanota 'Snaggle Tooth'
Next crop available: 03/12/2021
Item #: 13801
Zones: 9a to 11
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 15" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave titanota 'X-Rays'
Next crop available: 04/02/2021
Item #: 11077
Zones: 9a to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave utahensis ssp. kaibabensis
Item #: 12
Zones: 5a to 7b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave victoriae-reginae 'Bustamante'
Item #: 12317
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave victoriae-reginae 'Kizan'
Item #: 8834
Zones: 8b to 11, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave victoriae-reginae 'Ring of Gold'
Item #: 8795
Zones: 9a to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 8" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
More Information About Southwest Garden Plants
The Magnificent Seven...plants that is. The Southwest US is home to many wonderful plant species that seem quite exotic to us East Coasters. Southwest garden plants from the wild wild west love the heat, are drought-tolerant, and some can tolerate considerable cold, too. For those of you with desert-envy you, too, can grow a variety of great Southwest garden plants in your garden. Here at Plant Delights Nursery, we have an enormous on-line plant catalog and have searched through it to create this mini-catalog of Southwest garden plants that look great in the landscape.
When you think of Southwest garden plants, two things come to mind...yucca and saguaro cactus. There are several species of the former that will grow just fine here in Raleigh, but sadly, we cannot grow the latter. Other Southwest garden plants that we can grow include agave, salvia, achillea, agastache, gaillardia, amorpha, anisacanthus, astragalus, calylophus, and oenothera.
If you expand your concept of Southwest garden plants to include any plants that would look good in a southwest style garden, you can include many non-native plants like agapanthus, bulbine, asparagus, antirrhinum, cistus and delosperma. When you are ready to buy Southwest garden plants for your garden, grab a fistful of dollars, come out to our nursery at high noon and check out our online list of Southwest garden plants for sale. They are a real wild bunch of plants...all good, none are bad or ugly. Just remember that many of these plants prefer excellent drainage so you should be sure to add some true grit to your garden soil or you may return to find just a tombstone where the plant used to be.