Native New Mexico Weeds / Forbs

A weed, or forb, is plant other than grass which has broad leaves and no wood. Despite their classification, many native weeds can still be used in gardening and landscaping (think wildflowers). Just make sure you learn a bit about them before you throw them in the mix.

This is an incomplete list of native New Mexico weeds and wildflowers. Pictures and information will be added as available.

Click any flower name to open pictures in a new window.

Weeds (Forbs)

• ragged-leaf bahia (Amauriopsis dissecta) – Cute, yellow, daisy-like flowers
• Louisiana wormwood (Artemisia ludoviciana)
• Missouri milkvetch (Astragalus missouriensis) – Pinks & reds
• plumed brickellbush (Brickellia brachyphylla)
• foothills paintbrush (Castilleja integra) – Gorgeous orange!!!
• baby aster (Chaetopappa ericoides) – Bright white
• Fendler’s spurge (Chamaesyce fendleri) – Little yellow buds
• yellow-spine thistle (Cirsium ochrocentrum) – Various colors
• white prairie-clover (Dalea candida) – White petals with coneheads(?)
• James’ prairie-clover (Dalea jamesii) – Funky yellow flutes pop out of white furballs
• sacred thorn-apple (Datura wrightii) – White flute blooms
• smooth purple aster (Dieteria canescens) – Delicate purple flowers
• whiplash fleabane daisy (Erigeron flagellaris) – White…daisies. ;-)
• James’ wild-buckwheat (Eriogonum jamesii) – Fuzzy!
• scarlet bee-blossom (Gaura coccinea) – Various colored, delicate blooms
• Eastwood’s pepperwood (Lepidium alyssoides) – Little white buds
• fringed gromwell (Lithospermum incisum) – Yellow, flute-like flowers
• plains blackfoot-daisy (Melampodium leucanthum) – Small & white
• Colorado four-o’clock (Mirabilis multiflora) – PURPLE!!!
• James’ penstemon (Penstemon jamesii) – Pinks & purples abound
• ivy-leaf ground-cherry (Physalis hederifolia)
• Fendler’s bladderpod (Physaria fendleri) – Brilliant yellow
• threadleaf groundsel (Senecio flaccidus) – More yellow
• scarlet globe-mallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea) – Little orange flowers
• few-flowered wire-lettuce (Stephanomeria pauciflora) – Delicate, light purple flowers
• perky-Sue (Tetraneuris argentea) – Poppin’ yellow blooms

Sources:

• R.C. Sivinski, 2007. Checklist of Vascular Plants in the Sandia and Manzano Mountains of Central New Mexico. 67 pp. OccPap-MSB-N10-Sivinski2007