Seedling List

Seedlings offered by the New Mexico Forestry Division

For more information, or to order the seedling, click on the seedling's name.

SPECIES	HEIGHT	GROWTH RATE	COLD HARDINESS	WATER NEEDS	ALKALINITY TOLERANCE	ELEVATION
APACHE PLUME	4 - 6 feet	Fast	Good-Excellent	Low	Moderate-High	5000- 8000
Fallugia paradoxa This native shrub occurs along the sides of dry washes and hillsides. The rose-like white flowers are showy in the early summer with feathery clusters of plume-like fruit in the fall and winter. Provides nesting sites and material for birds. It has high calcium carbonate tolerance and low salinity tolerance. The optimum soil pH is 7.0 to 8.0. It is shade intolerant. Hardiness zones are 3 through 10 below 8000 feet in elevation. The width is between 4 and 6 feet. Pest Problems: none serious. Suggested Uses: windbreaks, erosion control, and wildlife plantings.
Sizes: Small
ARIZONA ASH	25-50 feet	Moderate	Fair	Moderate	Moderate	3000- 7000
Fraxinus velutina This native tree, also called Velvet Ash, is widely distributed through canyon bottoms in SW New Mexico. It is well adapted to the desert areas of NM and has moderate wildlife value for birds. Has no calcium carbonate tolerance and low salinity tolerance. It is shade intolerant. Hardiness zones are 7 through 10. The crown width averages 25 feet. It grows in soils that range from 5.8 to 7.5 pH. Pest Problems: no serious pests. Suggested Uses: riparian reclamation, windbreaks, erosion control, and wildlife plantings.
Sizes: Small
ASPEN	60-80 feet	Fast	Excellent	Moderate-High	High	6500- 10000
Populus tremuloides A native tree widely distributed above 7500 feet as a pioneer species after fire or other disturbances. Its bright fall colors light up the mountains where it is plentiful. Elk and deer browse the foliage when within reach. Fall colors are from bright yellow to gold and sometimes orange/red. It has high calcium carbonate tolerance and no salinity tolerance. The optimum soil pH is 4.3 to 9.0. It is shade intolerant. Hardiness zones are 2 through 8 above 6500 feet in elevation. The average crown width is 20 to 30 feet. Pest Problems: poplar borer, leaf miner, cytospora cankers, and tent caterpillar. Suggested Uses: wildlife plantings, reforestation, and reclamation above 6500 feet.
Sizes: Small
BIG SAGEBRUSH	2 to 15 feet	Moderate	Excellent	Low	Moderate	4500- 8500
Artemisia tridentata This native evergreen shrub is an important food source for deer, elk, pronghorn antelope, and bighorn sheep. It is also important to many bird species especially sage grouse. The average width is 3 to 6 feet. It is an important species for reclamation and revegetation due to its broad range and ease of establishment. It has high calcium carbonate tolerance, moderate salinity tolerance, and it is shade intolerant. Hardiness zones are 3 through 9 below 8500 feet. Pest Problems: No serious pests. Suggested Uses: Wildlife habitat and revegetation.
Sizes: Small
BLACK WILLOW	up to 100 feet	Fast	Good-Excellent	High	Moderate	1500- 6000
Salix nigra Black willow resembles Goodding's Black willow and the two species are sometimes considered to be varieties of the same species. It occurs along streambanks and in floodplain areas. It has massive trunks that usually lean and are often divided. The crown is broad and open. Birds eat the buds and flowering catkins and deer eat the twigs and leaves. It is also commonly used as nesting habitat by small bird species. It has low calcium carbonate tolerance and medium salinity tolerance. The optimum soil pH is 4.8 to 8.0. It is shade intolerant. Hardiness zones are 4a through 9a below 6000 feet in elevation. Pest Problems: None serious. Suggested Uses: erosion control of streambanks, wildlife plantings
Sizes: Small
BLUE SPRUCE	up to 80 feet	Slow	Excellent	High	Low-Moderate	5000- 10000
Picea pungens A native conifer that has a conical shape and will require supplemental water and generally requires some shade protection when young. The color of the foliage is from green to blue and it is often used as a Christmas tree in New Mexico. It also has value to the wood products industry. It has high calcium carbonate tolerance and no salinity tolerance. The optimum soil pH is 5.5 to 7.8. It has intermediate shade tolerance. Hardiness zones are 2 through 7 above 5000 feet. The width is between 20 to 30 feet. Pest Problems: Douglas-fir tussock moth, needle scale, and spruce aphids. Suggested Uses: reforestation, Christmas trees, and windbreaks.
Sizes: Small
BLUESTEM WILLOW	up to 12 feet	Fast	Excellent	High	Low-Moderate	5200- 8500
Salix irrorata This native shrub is widespread over New Mexico and occurs in thickets along rivers, creeks, and intermittent streams. It has twigs that are a striking purplish-blue color and white flowers. It has no salinity tolerance. Hardiness zones are 2 through 8 above 5200 feet. Optimum soil pH is 5.5 to 7.5. The width averages 15 feet. Pest Problems: None serious. Suggested Uses: Riparian restoration, streambank stabilization and wildlife plantings.
Sizes: Small
BUFFALOBERRY	12 feet	Slow-Moderate	Good-Excellent	Low-Moderate	High	4500- 7000
Shepherdia argentea This native species is found along the banks of streams or on eroded dry hillsides in northwestern New Mexico. The plant is highly important for mule deer browse and cover for nesting birds. It is a good late winter source of food for birds. The tart red fruit of this plant is used for jellies and jams. Buffaloberry needs both male and female plants to produce fruit. It has high calcium carbonate and salinity tolerance. It has intermediate shade tolerance. Optimum soil pH is 5.3-8.0. Hardiness zones 3 through 6 below 7000 feet. The width is 10 to 12 feet. Pest Problems: none serious. Suggested Uses: wildlife plantings, jellies and jams, windbreaks, and erosion control.
Sizes:
CHOKECHERRY	6-20 feet	Moderate-Fast	Excellent	Moderate-High	Low	5500- 9500
Prunus virginiana A native shrub or small tree that forms dense barriers. It prefers deep and sandy loam soils. It is an important species for wildlife as bear, deer, and other animals use it for food. It is a species that minimizes stream bank erosion. Its fruit is widely used in jellies and jams. Chokecherry is self-pollinating. It has medium calcium carbonate and salinity tolerance. The optimum soil pH is 5.2 to 8.4. It has intermediate shade tolerance. Hardiness zones are 2 through 7 at elevations between 5500 and 9500 feet. The crown width is between 10 and 20 feet. Pest Problems: borers, pear slugs, and tent caterpillar. Suggested Uses: windbreaks, riparian restoration, and wildlife plantings.
Sizes: Small
COYOTE WILLOW	10 feet	Fast	Good	High	High	3500- 7500
Salix exigua This is one of the most common and widespread willows in New Mexico. It commonly forms thickets along streams, roadside ditches and is an important species to riparian areas. It is adapted to sandy soils in stream, river, and shoreline sites. It is heavily browsed by deer year-round. Cattle will browse it in the summer and early fall. It has low saline tolerance, intermediate shade intolerance and prefers a pH between 6 and 8.5. Hardiness zones are 4 through 9. Pest Problems: No major pests. Suggested Uses: Riparian restoration, erosion control in riparian sites and wildlife habitat
Sizes: Small
DESERT WILLOW	25 feet	Fast	Fair-Good	Low	High	3000- 6000
Chilopsis linearis A native shrub or small tree found in washes and along roadsides. This species is tolerant of poor soils and considerable drought. This deciduous plant is classified as a phreatophyte, and is an indicator that water is not too far below the surface during part of the year. The wood is often used for fence posts. It has medium calcium carbonate tolerance and low salinity tolerance. The optimum soil pH is 6.6 to 10.0. Hardiness zones are 7 through 11 at elevations below 6000 feet. It has intermediate shade tolerance. The crown width averages 20 feet. Pest Problems: no major pests. Suggested Uses: windbreaks, erosion control, screens, and wildlife plantings.
Sizes: Small
DOUGLAS-FIR	80+ feet	Moderate	Excellent	High	Moderate	4500- 10000
Pseudotsuga menziesii A large, native tree with a dense, conical crown. The wood is one of the strongest of the soft woods. It has significant value to the wood products industry and is used extensively as a Christmas tree. This species can live for hundreds of years. It has moderate calcium carbonate tolerance and no salinity tolerance. The optimum soil pH is 5.0 to 7.5. It has intermediate shade tolerance. Hardiness zones are 4 through 6 above 4500 feet in elevation. The width is between 20 and 30 feet. Pest Problems: Douglas-fir tussock moth, spruce budworm, and wooly aphids. Suggested Uses: reforestation (important timber species in western US), wildlife plantings, and Christmas trees.
Sizes: Small
DUSTY BEARDTONGUE	1-3 feet	Moderate	Good-Excellent	Low	Low-Moderate	5500- 9000
Penstemon comarrhenus It is native to the Four Corners area of New Mexico. Requires rocky, sandy, or gravelly well-drained soil. Has very low water requirements and is drought tolerant once established. It grows in open pinon-juniper woodlands, ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir and aspen forests. Grows in both full sun and full shade. Flowers in May, June and July. Tolerates weakly acidic to weakly alkaline soil pH as long as soil is well-drained. Pest Problems: none Suggested Uses: attracts hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies
Sizes: Small
FALSE INDIGO BUSH	6-10 feet	Moderate	Good-Excellent	Moderate	Moderate	3000- 7000
Amorpha fruticosa False indigo bush is a native shrub that grows in dense stands along streambanks, irrigation ditches, irrigated pastures, and the edges of woodlands. It has purple spire-like flowers that bloom from May to July. The nectar from the flowers attracts birds and butterflies. The leaves are pinnately compound with 11 to 15 leaflets per stem. The average width of the plant is 5 feet. It has medium calcium carbonate tolerance and low salinity tolerance. The optimum soil pH is 5.0 to 8.5. Hardiness zones are 4 to 9 below 7000 feet in elevation. It is shade intolerant. Pest Problems: insect gall. Suggested Uses: erosion control and wildlife plantings.
Sizes: Small
FIRECRACKER PENSTEMON	up to 3 feet	Slow	Excellent	Low	Moderate	3000- 11000
Penstemon eatonii Native plant that has bright red flowers that bloom May through August, is adaptable to various soil types. It provides forage for deer, antelope and birds. It has intermediate shade tolerance, has high calcium carbonate tolerance, and no salinity tolerance. Hardiness zones are 4 through 9. It is a pollinator for native bees. Pest Problems: none serious Suggested Uses: erosion control, reclamation, wildlife forage
Sizes: Small
FOUR-WING SALTBUSH	4-6 feet	Fast	Good	Low	High	3000- 8000
Atriplex canescens This native shrub grows across a wide variety of soils including saline soils and is highly prized plant by the Navajos as forage for their cattle, sheep, and goats; especially in early spring when other forage is scarce. It is also an excellent wildlife species. It has high calcium carbonate tolerance and high salinity tolerance. Optimum soil pH is 6.5 to 9.5. It is shade intolerant. Hardiness zones are 4 through 9 up to 8000 feet in elevation. The width is between 4 and 8 feet. Pest Problems: no major pests. Suggested Uses: windbreaks, wildlife plantings, erosion control, and reclamation of severely disturbed sites.
Sizes: Small
GOLDEN CURRANT	4-6 Feet	Fast	Good	Low	Low	3000- 9000
Ribes aureum A native to New Mexico in the spring the golden currant richly deserves its name - golden yellow clusters of long, trumpet-shaped, spicy fragrant flowers, adorn the shrub in abundance. The edible fruit is made into jellies and jams, and delicious pies. Golden currant is self-pollinating. It has high calcium carbonate tolerance and no salinity tolerance. Optimum soil pH is 6.0 to 8.0. Hardiness zones are 5 through 8 at elevations between 3000 and 9000 feet. Its shade tolerance is intermediate. The width is between 3 and 6 feet. Pest Problems: leaf rust fungus,alternate host of White Pine blister rust. Suggested Uses: windbreaks, revegetation, erosion control (in it’s native range), and wildlife plantings.
Sizes: Small
GOODDING'S BLACK WILLOW	45-80 feet	Fast	Good-Excellent	High	Moderate	3500- 7500
Salix gooddingii This relatively abundant tree is found throughout New Mexico and is found along arroyos, streams, and rivers. Black Willow serves to minimize erosion and lessen flood damage. This species tolerates a wide range of soils as long as moisture is present. Native Americans chewed willow branches as a pain killer. Birds feed on the buds and flowers and deer eat the twigs and leaves. The tree gets its name from the dark colored bark. It has low calcium carbonate tolerance and no salinity tolerance. Optimum soil pH is 6.0 to 7.0. It is shade intolerant. Hardiness zone are 6 through 10. The width is up to 40 feet. Pest Problems: none serious. Suggested Uses: streambank stabilization and riparian restoration.
Sizes: Small
LIMBER PINE	up to 60 feet	Slow	Excellent	Low	Low	7500- 12000
Pinus flexilis This native 5-needled pine is very long-lived. It is pyramidal in shape during youth, becoming more flat-topped at maturity. The crown width is between 15 and 30 feet. The pine seeds are an excellent source of food for birds and small mammals. It has medium calcium carbonate tolerance and no salinity tolerance. The optimum soil pH is 5.7 to 6.5. It has intermediate shade tolerance. Hardiness zones are 4 through 7. Pest Problems: bark beetle, twig beetle, dwarf mistletoe and White Pine blister rust. Suggested Uses: windbreaks, Christmas trees, and reforestation.
Sizes: Small
LITTLE LEAF SUMAC	8-10 feet	Moderate	Good	Low	Moderate-High	4000- 8000
Rhus microphyllum A native shrub of the desert washes and valleys of New Mexico that has clusters of orange-red berries that provide winter food for many birds and mammals. It is found as far north as Sabinoso in San Miguel county. The leaves turn a beautiful orange-red in the fall. Basket weaving was a common use of sumac branches by Native Americans. It has high calcium carbonate tolerance and low salinity tolerance. The optimum soil pH is 7.0 to 8.5. It is shade intolerant. The width is between 6 and 10 feet. Hardiness zones are 7 through 10 at elevations lower than 8000 feet. Pest Problems: no major pests. Suggested Uses: erosion control, windbreaks, and slope stabilization.
Sizes:
MORMON TEA (GREEN EPHEDRA)	up to 5 feet	Moderate	Excellent	Low	Moderate	3000- 7500
Ephedra viridis This native evergreen shrub is important browse for big game. Its seeds and stem parts are used as food by many small animals and birds. It is used to restore disturbed land due to its ability to reduce erosion on both clay and sandy soils. Plants are drought tolerant and cold hardy. It has high calcium carbonate tolerance, high salinity tolerance and has intermediate shade tolerance. Hardiness zones are 6 through 9. at elevations below 7500 feet. The width is between 2 and 4 feet. Pest Problems: None serious. Suggested Uses: Wildlife habitat and erosion control.
Sizes: Small
MOUNTAIN MAHOGANY	15 feet	Moderate	Good-Excellent	Moderate	Moderate	4500- 8000
Cercocarpus montanus Mountain Mahogany is beautiful in late summer and fall, when the white tails of the fruit look like a threaded needle or a narrow delicate feather. It is a native shrub found on the limestone soils of the rolling plains and northern Trans-Pecos on rocky uplands. The leaves and twigs are browsed by elk and deer. It is an excellent species for reclamation of disturbed areas. It has high calcium carbonate tolerance and no salinity tolerance. The optimum soil pH is 6.0 to 8.0. It has intermediate shade tolerance. Hardiness zones are 5 through 10 between 4500 and 8000 feet. The width is between 8 and 15 feet. Pest Problems: no serious pest problems. Suggested Uses: wildlife habitat, and erosion control.
Sizes: Small
MOUNTAIN SNOWBERRY	2-5 feet	Moderate	Good-Excellent	Moderate	Moderate	6000- 10000
Symphoricarpos oreophilus Mountain snowberry has smooth twigs that turn brown and shreddy with age. The leaves are light gray green. It has pink flowers and white berries. This native shrub is drought and fire tolerant. It has low calcium carbonate tolerance and low salinity tolerance. The optimum soil pH is 5.2 to 7.5. It has intermediate shade tolerance. Hardiness zones are 2 through 7. The width averages 4 feet. Pest Problems: no major pests. Suggested Uses: erosion control, wildlife plantings, and slope stabilization.
Sizes: Small
NARROWLEAF COTTONWOOD	up to 70 feet	Fast	Good-Excellent	Moderate-High	Moderate	5000- 10000
Populus angustifolia This is a native tree with willow-like leaves, common along streams in the mountains of New Mexico. It represents the principal mountain Cottonwood species. It provides cover for wildlife and is a good browse species. It has high tolerance for calcium carbonate and low tolerance for salinity. The optimum soil pH is 6.0 to 7.5. It is shade intolerant. Hardiness zones are 3 to 8 above 5000 feet. The crown width is between 30 and 40 feet. Pest Problems: Leaf rust, fall webworm, poplar borers Suggested Uses: Windbreaks, Wildlife plantings, erosion control and riparian restoration
Sizes: Small
NEW MEXICO FORESTIERA	8-10 feet	Moderate	Good	Low	Moderate	4000- 7500
Forestiera neomexicana Also called NM Olive or Privet, this native shrub has a broad range in New Mexico. It is widely used by birds due to the small black olive-shaped fruit it produces. It forms a dense thicket or small tree and is excellent for controlling erosion. It has high calcium carbonate tolerance and medium salinity tolerance. Optimum soil pH is 7.0 to 8.5. It is shade intolerant. Hardiness zones are 4 through 9 at elevations below 7500 feet. The width is between 8 and 12 feet. Pest Problems: no serious pests. Suggested Uses: windbreaks, wildlife plantings, and erosion control.
Sizes: Small
NEW MEXICO LOCUST	15-25 feet	Fast	Good-Excellent	Moderate	Moderate-High	4500- 8500
Robinia neomexicana This is a native tree especially useful for erosion control due to its rapid growth and thicket forming tendencies. The legumes incorporate nitrogen into the soil improving the quality of the soil. It produces showy purple flowers in the spring. It has high calcium carbonate tolerance and low salinity tolerance. Optimum soil pH is 7.0 to 8.5. It is shade intolerant. Hardiness zones are 5 through 9 at elevations between 4500 and 8500 feet. The average crown width is 15 feet. Pest Problems: minor problem with locust borer. Suggested Uses: windbreaks, reclamation, wildlife plantings, and erosion control.
Sizes: Small
OSAGE ORANGE	25-30 feet	Moderate-Fast	Good-Excellent	Moderate	High	0- 0
Maclura pomifera Osage orange is native to the Arkansas and Red River valleys in southern Oklahoma and northern Texas. It is naturalized over a large part of the lower 48 states including New Mexico. It was traditionally used by the Osage tribe to make hunting bows. Before barbed wire it was used to construct thousands of miles of hedge rows due to its thorns and longevity. The wood is extremely dense and very resistant to rot so it makes excellent firewood and posts. It is multi-stemmed when planted alone or when planted with other trees it is single-stemmed. The leaves are green and glossy in spring and summer and turn golden yellow in the fall. It can grow in a variety of soils and is drought tolerant. The average height is between 25 and 30 feet and the crown width is about the same. It is has high calcium carbonate tolerance, prefers full sun, and dry soil. It is heat tolerant and cold hardy. Hardiness zones are 5 through 9a. The fruit is not edible except by squirrels and deer which break open the fruit to eat the seeds. It is dioceious (plants are either male or female) and is wind pollinated. Pest Problems: None serious Suggested Uses: Windbreaks, mine reclamation, posts, fuel wood
Sizes: Small
PALMER'S PENSTEMON	up to 5 feet	Moderate	Excellent	Low	Low	2600- 8200
Pestemon palmeri Native to New Mexico. It is a perennial herb to slightly wood subshrub. Has fleshy leaves and has white to pink flowers that are fragrant. It is found in dry washes, grasslands, pinon-juniper and ponderosa pine communities. It is very drought and heat tolerant. It is shade intolerant, pH tolerance is 6.0 to 7.9, saline intolerant and prefers precipitation between 6 and 14 inches per year. Hardiness zones are 4 through 9 at elevations below 8200 feet. Adapted to coarse and medium textured, well-drained soils. Pest Problems: Suggested Uses: wildlife plantings and erosion control
Sizes: Small
PECAN	70 to 100 feet	Moderate	Good	High	Moderate-High	0- 5000
Carya illnoinensis Ungrafted, oval crowned deciduous tree, has a spread of 40 to 75 feet. Fruit is an oblong nut. The nuts be used by deer, wild turkeys, various bird species, and various small mammals. It is also used by butterflies. It grows in moist, well-drained soils such as sandy, sandy loam, medium load, clay loam, clay and caliche. These seedlings are not cultivars, so nut quality varies. If you are a commercial grower you will need to find cultivars. Is shade intolerant, has low calcium carbonate tolerance, and has a preferred pH range of 4.5 to 7.5. Is salt intolerant. Grow well in the southern half of New Mexico if soil is kept moist. USDA hardiness zones are 6 to 9, but probably won't produce nuts in the colder zones since it requires consistent warm night temperatures to produce nuts. Pest Problems: none major - aphids, borers, tent caterpillars, webworms Suggested Uses: wildlife habitat, furniture wood
Sizes:
PIÑON	up to 40 feet	Slow	Good-Excellent	Low	Moderate-High	3500- 8500
Pinus edulis The New Mexico state tree is an aromatic pine which grows across a wide variety of soils and does well under cultivation. It is popular for the edible nuts it produces. Under most conditions it is self-pollinating. It has high value for upland game and song birds. It is very drought tolerant, but slow growing. Has low calcium carbonate tolerance and medium salinity tolerance. Hardiness zones are 6 through 8. Optimum soil pH is 6.5 to 8.5. The crown width is between 20 and 30 feet. Pest Problems: Ips bark beetle, piñon needle scale, needle miner, twig beetle, and pitch moth. Suggested Uses: windbreaks, reforestation, and Christmas trees.
Sizes: Small
PLAINS COTTONWOOD	up to 85 feet	Fast	Excellent	High	Low-Moderate	3500- 9000
Populus deltoides ssp. monilifera This cottonwood is native to the eastern plains of New Mexico and is found in moist areas and near stream banks. It is also highly drought tolerant. It is appropriate for planting east of the Pecos River. Rio Grande Cottonwood should be planted west of the Pecos River. The crown spread is 50-60 feet and the leaves are wide and triangular in shape, 3-6 inches long. They turn golden yellow in the fall. It has medium tolerance for calcium carbonate and no salinity tolerance. Hardiness zones are 3 through 9 at elevations below 9000 feet. The optimum soil pH is 5.0 to 7.0. It is shade intolerant. The crown width is between 30 and 40 feet. Pest Problems: None serious. Suggested Uses: riparian restoration, stream bank stabilization, and wildlife plantings.
Sizes: Small
PONDEROSA PINE	up to 80 feet	Moderate	Excellent	Moderate	Moderate-High	4500- 9000
Pinus ponderosa This is a large, native conifer. It is the primary commercial tree species in New Mexico. It has a pyramidal shape when young and becomes conical with age. Squirrels clip the cones and store them in caches and extract the seeds for winter consumption. The tree grows best on well-drained soils. It has low calcium carbonate tolerance and no salinity tolerance. The optimum soil pH is 5.0 to 9.0. It is shade intolerant. Hardiness zones are 3 through 9 at elevations above 4500 feet. The crown width is between 25 and 30 feet. Pest Problems: bark beetle, twig beetle, sawflies and dwarf mistletoe. Suggested Uses: windbreaks and reforestation.
Sizes: Small
REDOSIER DOGWOOD	6-9 feet	Moderate	Good	High	Moderate	5500- 9000
Cornus stolonifera Redosier prefers moist sites along streams and around swampy or boggy land. This native species is readily noticed due to its red twigs and white berries in the fall. The flowers grow in clusters and are tiny and white. It has no calcium carbonate tolerance and low salinity tolerance. Optimum soil pH is 4.8 to 7.5. It is shade intolerant. Hardiness zones are 2 through 7 at elevations between 5500 and 9000 feet. The width is between 8 and 10 feet. Pest Problems: No major pests Suggested Uses: Riparian or wetland plantings.
Sizes: Small
RUBBER RABBITBRUSH (CHAM	4-6 feet	Fast	Good-Excellent	Low	Low	3000- 7500
Chrysothamnus nauseosus This is a native shrub which grows well on disturbed sites and in alkaline soils. In the fall Chamisa becomes very conspicuous. Its yellow flower clusters brighten up the roadside and other disturbed areas. The foliage and seeds are eaten by browsing animals and rabbits. It has medium calcium carbonate and salinity tolerance. The optimum soil pH is 5.6 to 8.6. It is shade intolerant. Hardiness zones are 3 through 10 at elevations lower than 7500 feet. The width is between 2 and 4 feet. Pest Problems: Leaf beetle, no other major pests. Suggested Uses: windbreaks, erosion control and reclamation.
Sizes: Small
SAND CHERRY	4 feet	Fast	Good-Excellent	Low	Moderate	3000- 8000
Prunus besseyi Sand Cherry is a small fast growing shrub readily used by song birds. It produces clusters of white flowers in the spring followed by sweet black cherries nearly 3/4" in diameter. Sand cherry requires cross-pollination to produce fruit. It has high calcium carbonate tolerance and low salinity tolerance. The optimum soil pH is 5.3 to 7.5. It is shade intolerant. Hardiness zones are 3 through 8 at elevations between 3000 and 8000 feet. The width is between 3 and 6 feet. Pest Problems: aphids. Suggested Uses: wildlife plantings and erosion control.
Sizes: Small
SHRUBBY CINQUEFOIL	up to 4 feet	Slow	Good-Excellent	Low	Moderate	6500- 11500
Potentilla fruticosa Native drought tolerant shrub that has small yellow 5-petalled blossoms that are present from June through September It is attractive to butterflies and is also forage for mule deer. This shrub is also known by the name Potentilla. The bark is brown and shreddy in color. It has medium calcium carbonate tolerance and no salinity tolerance. The optimum soil pH is 5.0 to 8.0. It has intermediate shade tolerance, but prefers full sun. Hardiness zones are 3 through 7. The width is between 2 and 4 feet. Pest Problems: none serious. Suggested Uses: erosion control, wildlife plantings, and windbreaks.
Sizes: Small
SKUNKBUSH SUMAC	4-6 feet	Moderate	Excellent	Low	Moderate-High	4500- 8000
Rhus trilobata Skunkbush sumac is a deciduous, multi-branched and spreading shrub. It occurs along stream banks and forest openings but is most common and abundant on dry, rocky slopes throughout Arizona and New Mexico at elevations from 3500 to 8000 feet. This shrub is very winter hardy and tolerant of drought and high alkali soils. The fruits are red-orange and the flowers are yellowish and conspicuously in clusters. Besides having brilliant orange-red fall colors it is an important fall and winter food for songbirds and emergency food for game birds. This species is also an important browse species for mule deer. Clusters of small yellow flowers bloom in late May and produce a small red edible fruit. It has low calcium carbonate tolerance and no salinity tolerance. Optimum soil pH is 6.5 to 8.2. It has intermediate shade tolerance. Hardiness zones are 4 through 8 at elevations between 4500 and 8000 feet. The width is between 6 and 8 feet. Pest Problems: no serious pests. Suggested Uses: windbreaks, wildlife plantings, and erosion control.
Sizes: Small
SMOOTH SUMAC	10 feet	Moderate	Good-Excellent	Low	Moderate	5000- 8000
Rhus glabra This native shrub is extremely drought resistant and the leaves turn a bright red in the fall. More than thirty bird species and deer use the fruit as winter food. It serves as good ground cover for small mammals. It has low calcium carbonate tolerance and no salinity tolerance. The optimum soil pH is 5.3 to 7.5. It is shade intolerant. Hardiness zones are 5 through 8 at elevations between 5000 and 8000 feet. The width is between 10 and 15 feet. Pest Problems: None serious. Suggested Uses: reclamation, erosion control and wildlife plantings.
Sizes: Small
SOUTHERN LIVE OAK	50 ft	Moderate	Fair	Moderate	Moderate	0- 0
Quercus virginiana Southern live oak is native to the southeastern United States from Virginia through Texas. It has been planted for decades in the warmer areas of the southwestern US. The average height and crown width at maturity is at 50 feet. It has intermediate shade tolerance and a pH range of 4.3 to 7.5. Southern live oak can grow in hardiness zones 7-10 and is cold hardy to 5-10 degrees Fahrenheit. It is relatively drought tolerant, but it does require watering. Although it appears to be evergreen, it is actually deciduous, it drops its old leaves just as new ones emerge. It grows in dry to moist soils, whether gravelly, sandy, loamy or clay, but does best in neutral or slightly acidic clay loams, poor drainage okay. It is saline tolerant and tolerant of compaction. Pest Problems: oak wilt Suggested Uses: wildlife food -acorns, attracts butterflies and birds
Sizes: Small
SOUTHWESTERN WHITE PINE	up to 80 feet	Moderate	Excellent	Moderate	Low	4500- 10000
Pinus strobiformis A large native tree, that grows well in a forest environment. It has edible seeds, similar though smaller than those of piñon. It is very graceful and the needles are soft and wispy. Its blue-green foliage makes it a formal-looking tree when young. The width is between 20 and 30 feet. The optimum soil pH is 4.5 to 6.8. Hardiness zones are 5 through 9 at elevations above 4500 feet. NOT RECOMMENED FOR SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO (CAPITANS, SACRAMENTO AND WHITE MOUNTAINS) DUE TO WHITE PINE BLISTER RUST. Pest Problems: bark beetle, twig beetle, dwarf mistletoe and White Pine blister rust. Suggested Uses: windbreaks, Christmas trees, and reforestation.
Sizes: Small
SUPERB PENSTEMON	2 feet	Moderate	Good-Excellent	Low	Moderate	3500- 5500
Penstemon superbus Native to extreme southwestern New Mexico and southern Arizona. Grows in sandy or gravelly soils in canyons and washes. Has coral-colored blooms in April and May. Is a pollinator for native bees. Hardy in USDA hardiness zones 6-9. Pest Problems: none known Suggested Uses: pollinator for native bees
Sizes: Small
THINLEAF ALDER	20-25 feet	Moderate-Fast	Excellent	Moderate-High	Low-Moderate	5000- 10000
Alnus tenuifolia This native species is common along creeks and canyons from 5000 to 10000 feet in elevation. Alder bark is rich in tannin and very puckery if chewed. The bark is used for tanning, giving skins a red color. Beavers, deer and rabbits eat the bark despite its puckery taste. It is good cover for wildlife and browse for deer. It has no calcium carbonate tolerance and no salinity tolerance. The optimum soil pH is 5.5 to 7.0. It has intermediate shade tolerance. Hardiness zones are 1 through 7 at elevations above 5000 feet. The width is between 12 and 20 feet. Pest Problems: Tent caterpillars. Suggested Uses: Wildlife plantings, streambank stabilization and erosion control.
Sizes: Small
TURPENTINE BUSH	1-3 feet	Moderate-Fast	Good-Excellent	Low	Moderate	3000- 6500
Ericameria laricifolia Is a native New Mexico shrub that is 1-3 feet tall and wide with small golden-yellow flowers and dense narrow leaves. It prefers full sun to part shade, is cold and heat tolerant and grows in dry, well-drained granitic, sand, clay loam or limestone soils. Hardiness zones are 7 through 10 at lower than 6500 feet elevation. It flowers in late summer and fall. Pest Problems: None serious Suggested Uses: wildlife browse, attracts butterflies and birds
Sizes: Small
WAX CURRANT	4-6 feet	Slow-Moderate	Good-Excellent	Low	Moderate	5000- 13000
Ribes cereum This attractive fragrant native shrub produces pink flowers in the spring and red fruit in the late summer. This plant is abundant over rocky slopes and in dry and open woods. It does well in areas of limited precipitation. It has high calcium carbonate tolerance and no salinity tolerance. The optimum soil pH is 6.5-7.5. It is shade intolerant. Hardiness zones are 5 through 8 at elevations above 5000 feet. The width is between 3 and 5 feet. Pest Problems: None serious. Suggested Uses: Wildlife habitat and erosion control
Sizes: Small
WINTERFAT	3–4 feet	Fast	Good-Excellent	Low	Moderate-High	3000- 8000
Ceratoides lanata Winterfat is a hardy, native half-shrub with a wide range throughout New Mexico. It grows on dry, well-drained soils, 3000 - 8000 feet in elevation, and can tolerate saline or alkaline soils. It is superior winter forage for livestock and used extensively by wildlife. The seed heads in the fall give the plant a pleasing silvery appearance. The long white fuzzy plumes give it another name: "Lambs Tail". It has high calcium carbonate and salinity tolerance. The optimum soil pH is 6.6 to 8.5. It is shade intolerant. Hardiness zones are 3 through 8 at elevations lower than 8000 feet. The average width is 3 feet. Pest Problems: no major pests. Suggested Uses: erosion control, range improvement, and wildlife plantings.
Sizes: Small