The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert and ecoregion which covers large parts of the southwestern United States and of northwestern Mexico. With an area of , it is the hottest desert in Mexico. The western portion of the Mexico–United States border passes through the Sonoran Desert. The Sonoran Desert region includes the Sonoran Desert and some surrounding areas. All of Sonora, the Baja California Peninsula, and the islands of the Gulf of California are included. Also included are parts of Sinaloa and Chihuahua, some Pacific islands off the coast of Baja California excluding Guadalupe Island), and southern Arizona and southern California in the United States.Dimmitt, M., et al. Sonoran Desert Region Flora. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
This region has 4,004 species of plants from 1201 genera in 182 families. Many lack common names. Many have more than one common name, but only one is listed. Native and non-native taxa are included.
Flora with common names Flora of the Sonoran Desert Region include:
Acanthaceae Arizona foldwing (Dicliptera resupinata) Arizona water-willow (Dianthera candicans) Arizona wrightwort (Carlowrightia arizonica) Baja ruellia (Ruellia peninsularis) beloperone (Justicia californica) black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) Browne's blechum (Ruellia blechum) glush weed (Hygrophila costata) hairy fournwort (Tetramerium nervosum) island renegade (Henrya insularis) purple scalystem (Elytraria imbricata) rama parda (Ruellia californica) siphonoglossa (Justicia longii) Sonoran water-willow (Justicia sonorae) spreading snakeherb (Dyschoriste decumbens) Thurber's desert honeysuckle (Anisacanthus thurberi) violet wild petunia (Ruellia nudiflora) white devilbush (Holographis virgata)
Achatocarpaceae devilqueen (Phaulothamnus spinescens)
Aizoaceae common iceplant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum) desert horsepurslane (Trianthema portulacastrum) Hottentot fig (Carpobrotus edulis) shoreline seapurslane (Sesuvium portulacastrum) slenderleaf iceplant (Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum) verrucose seapurslane (Sesuvium verrucosum)
Alismataceae American water plantain (Alisma subcordatum) arumleaf arrowhead (Sagittaria cuneata) broadleaf arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia) giant arrowhead (Sagittaria montevidensis) longbarb arrowhead (Sagittaria longiloba) upright burhead (Echinodorus berteroi) water poppy (Hydrocleys nymphoides) yellow velvetleaf (Limnocharis flava)
Amaranthaceae Arizona snakecotton (Froelichia arizonica) Australian saltbush (Atriplex semibaccata) Barclay's saltbush (Atriplex barclayana) big saltbush (Atriplex lentiformis) California saltbush (Atriplex californica) carelessweed (Amaranthus palmeri) cattle saltbush (Atriplex polycarpa) Davidson's saltbush (Atriplex pacifica) desert goosefoot (Chenopodium pratericola) desertholly (Atriplex hymenelytra) dwarf saltwort (Salicornia bigelovii) estuary seablite (Suaeda esteroa) fetid goosefoot (Chenopodium graveolens) fivehorn smotherweed (Bassia hyssopifolia) fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens) fringed amaranth (Amaranthus fimbriatus) globe amaranth (Gomphrena globosa) iodinebush (Allenrolfea occidentalis) lambsquarters (Chenopodium album) mat amaranth (Amaranthus blitoides) Mexican tea (Dysphania ambrosioides) Mojave seablite (Suaeda moquini) nettleleaf goosefoot (Chenopodium murale) New Mexico goosefoot (Chenopodium neomexicanum) Nuttall's povertyweed (Monolepis nuttalliana) old man saltbush (Atriplex nummularia) pearly globe amaranth (Gomphrena nitida) pickleweed (Salicornia virginica) Powell's amaranth (Amaranthus powellii) prince's feather (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) prostrate pigweed (Amaranthus albus) red amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus) Russian thistle (Kali tragus) shadscale (Atriplex confertifolia) slim amaranth (Amaranthus hybridus) Sonoran globe amaranth (Gomphrena sonorae) spiny hopsage (Grayia spinosa) Standley's bloodleaf (Iresine heterophylla) Texas snakecotton (Froelichia interrupta) washerwoman (Alternanthera caracasana) Watson's amaranth (Amaranthus watsonii) Watson's goosefoot (Chenopodium watsonii) wheelscale saltbush (Atriplex elegans) winterfat (Krascheninnikovia lanata) woolly seablite (Suaeda taxifolia) woolly tidestromia (Tidestromia lanuginosa) Wright's saltbush (Atriplex wrightii)
Amaryllidaceae cebollín (Hymenocallis pimana) copper zephyrlily (Zephyranthes longifolia) crowpoison (Nothoscordum bivalve) Geyer's onion (Allium geyeri) gland onion (Allium glandulosum) Kunth's onion (Allium kunthii) largeflower onion (Allium macropetalum) Mexicali onion (Allium peninsulare) spider lily (Hymenocallis sonorensis) Texas false garlic (Nothoscordum texanum)
Anacardiaceae African sumac (Rhus lancea) aigros (Rhus terebinthifolia) Baja elephant tree (Pachycormus discolor) ciruelo (Cyrtocarpa edulis) evergreen sumac (Rhus virens) fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica) Kearney's sumac (Rhus kearneyi) laurel sumac (Malosma laurina) lemonadeberry (Rhus integrifolia) littleleaf sumac (Rhus microphylla) mango (Mangifera indica) Peruvian pepper tree (Schinus molle) pink-flowering sumac (Rhus lentii) poison ivy (Rhus radicans) purple mondin (Spondias purpurea) smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) sugarbush (Rhus ovata)
Apiaceae alpine false springparsley (Cymopterus lemmonii) American wild carrot (Daucus pusillus) Arizona eryngo (Eryngium sparganophyllum) bristly scaleseed (Spermolepis echinata) chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium) Chiricahua Mountain eryngo (Eryngium lemmonii) coriander (Coriandrum sativum) cow parsnip (Heracleum maximum) culantrillo (Daucus montanus) dill (Anethum graveolens) false carrot (Yabea microcarpa) fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) hierba del sapo (Eryngium nasturtiifolium) hoary bowlesia (Bowlesia incana) Huachuca Mountain eryngo (Eryngium phyteumae) large bullwort (Ammi majus) marsh parsley (Cyclospermum leptophyllum) masiaguri (Tauschia edulis) Mexican hemlockparsley (Conioselinum mexicanum) Schaffner's grasswort (Lilaeopsis schaffneriana) southern umbrellawort (Tauschia arguta) water-hemlock (Cicuta douglasii) western sandparsley (Ammoselinum giganteum) Wright's eryngo (Eryngium heterophyllum)
Apocynaceae Arizona bluestar (Amsonia grandiflora) Arizona milkvine (Gonolobus arizonicus) Arizona milkweed (Asclepias angustifolia) Arizona swallow-wort (Metastelma arizonicum) bloodflower milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) bract milkweed (Asclepias brachystephana) California milkweed (Asclepias californica) citavaro (Vallesia laciniata) cockroachplant (Haplophyton cimicidum) Davis Mountain rocktrumpet (Mandevilla hypoleuca) desert milkweed (Asclepias erosa) fringed twinevine (Funastrum cynanchoides) hierba de piojo (Mandevilla foliosa) horsetail milkweed (Asclepias subverticillata) Huachuca Mountain rocktrumpet (Macrosiphonia brachysiphon) Kearney's bluestar (Amsonia kearneyana) Lemmon's milkweed (Asclepias lemmonii) mahogany milkweed (Asclepias hypoleuca) Mexican swallow-wort (Cynanchum ligulatum) Mojave milkweed (Asclepias nyctaginifolia) Nacapule rocktrumpet (Mandevilla nacapulensis) narrowleaf milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis) nodding milkweed (Asclepias glaucescens) oleander (Nerium oleander) Palmer's bluestar (Amsonia palmeri) pineneedle milkweed (Asclepias linaria) plateau rocktrumpet (Mandevilla lanuginosa) plumeria (Plumeria rubra) rubber vine (Cryptostegia grandiflora) rush milkweed (Asclepias subulata) showy milkweed (Asclepias speciosa) slimpod milkweed (Asclepias quinquedentata) smooth vallesia (Vallesia glabra) Sonoran milkvine (Matelea cordifolia) spearleaf (Matelea parvifolia) Texas milkvine (Matelea producta) tufted milkweed (Asclepias nummularia) wavyleaf twinevine (Funastrum crispum) whitestem milkweed (Asclepias albicans) white twinevine (Funastrum clausum) Wiggins' swallow-wort (Metastelma mexicanum) woolly bluestar (Amsonia tomentosa) woollypod milkweed (Asclepias eriocarpa) yellow oleander (Thevetia peruviana) zizotes milkweed (Asclepias oenotheroides)
Aquifoliaceae holly (Ilex rubra)
Araceae common duckweed (Lemna minor) least duckweed (Lemna minuta) lesser duckweed (Lemna aequinoctialis) common duckmeat (Spirodela polyrrhiza)
Araliaceae Algerian ivy (Hedera canariensis) angelica tree (Dendropanax arboreus) Arizona spikenard (Aralia humilis) floating marshpennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides) manyflower marshpennywort (Hydrocotyle umbellata) papaya cimarrona (Oreopanax peltatum) tropical marshpennywort (Hydrocotyle pusilla) whorled marshpennywort (Hydrocotyle prolifera)
Arecaceae apak palm (Brahea dulcis) babisa (Brahea brandegeei) blue hesper palm (Brahea armata) California fan palm (Washingtonia filifera) Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta) date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) Sinaloa hesper palm (Brahea aculeata) Sonoran blue palm (Brahea nitida) Sonoran palmetto (Sabal uresana)
Aristolochiaceae calico flower (Aristolochia littoralis) canastilla (Aristolochia taliscana) hierba del indio (Aristolochia quercetorum) southwestern pipevine (Aristolochia brevipes) Watson's Dutchman's pipe (Aristolochia watsonii)
Asparagaceae American century plant (Agave americana) Arizona agave (Agave arizonica) azucena del monte (Echeandia ramosissima) banana yucca (Yucca baccata) Bigelow's nolina (Nolina bigelovii) bluedicks (Dipterostemon capitatus) chahuiqui (Agave multifilifera) chaparral yucca (Hesperoyucca whipplei) common sotol (Dasylirion wheeleri) cowhorn agave (Agave bovicornuta) datilillo (Agave datylio) Dehesa beargrass (Nolina interrata) desert agave (Agave deserti) desert lily (Hesperocallis undulata) golden agave (Agave chrysoglossa) goldenflower century plant (Agave chrysantha) Ithuriel's spear (Triteleia laxa) jaiboli (Agave jaiboli) Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) large-flowered yucca (Yucca grandiflora) McKelvey agave (Agave mckelveyana) mescal ceniza (Agave colorata) mescalito (Agave felgeri) Mexican star (Milla biflora) Mojave yucca (Yucca schidigera) mountain yucca (Yucca schottii) Murphey's century plant (Agave murpheyi) narrowleaf agave (Agave angustifolia) Navajo yucca (Yucca baileyi) Nelson's beargrass (Nolina nelsonii) night-flowering hesperaloe (Hesperaloe nocturna) ocahui (Agave ocahui) octopus agave (Agave vilmoriniana) Palmer's century plant (Agave palmeri) Palmer's craglily (Echeandia palmeri) Palmer's Bajalily (Triteleiopsis palmeri) Palmer's beargrass (Nolina palmeri) Parry's agave (Agave parryi) Parry's beargrass (Nolina parryi) pink funnel lily (Androstephium breviflorum) sacahuista (Nolina microcarpa) Schott's century plant (Agave schottii) Shaw's agave (Agave shawii) Sierra Madre yucca (Yucca madrensis) small-flowered beargrass (Nolina parviflora) Texas sacahuista (Nolina texana) Tonto Basin agave (Agave delamateri) Torrey's craglily (Echeandia flavescens) Toumey's century plant (Agave toumeyana) tree beargrass (Nolina matapensis) tree yucca (Yucca valida) tuberose-flowered agave (Agave polianthiflora) Utah agave (Agave utahensis) zebra agave (Agave zebra)
Asphodelaceae Aloe vera (Aloe vera) common marsh poker (Kniphofia linearifolia) onionweed (Asphodelus fistulosus)
Aspleniaceae blackstem spleenwort (Asplenium resiliens) Countess Dalhousie's spleenwort (Asplenium dalhousiae) dwarf spleenwort (Asplenium pumilum) little spleenwort (Asplenium exiguum) Palmer's spleenwort (Asplenium palmeri) singlesorus spleenwort (Asplenium monanthes)
Asteraceae Abert's creeping zinnia (Sanvitalia abertii) African sheepbush (Pentzia incana) alkali marsh aster (Almutaster pauciflorus) American everlasting (Gamochaeta americana) American tarwort (Flourensia cernua) American threefold (Trixis californica) annual candyleaf (Stevia micrantha) annual monsterwort (Parthenice mollis) Apache beggarticks (Bidens ferulaefolia) Apache plant (Guardiola platyphylla) arid tansyaster (Machaeranthera arida) arid throne fleabane (Erigeron arisolius) Arizona baccharis (Baccharis thesioides) Arizona beggarticks (Bidens aurea) Arizona blackfoot (Melampodium longicorne) Arizona blanketflower (Gaillardia arizonica) Arizona cudweed (Pseudognaphalium arizonicum)