There are a number of desert plants that produce red flowers or blooms. Some of the most common red-blooming desert plants include ocotillo, chuparosa, and several cactus species. This article will go over some of the most famous and beautiful desert plants that bloom in red. Knowing which plants have bright red flowers can help you make gardening decisions and enjoy the variety of plants that grow in dry places.
One of the most striking red-blooming desert plants is ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens). Ocotillo is a tall, spiny plant that grows in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts in the southwestern US and northern Mexico.
When the weather is right, ocotillo plants grow tall, thin, spiny stems that can reach 20 feet in height. The stems are topped with bright crimson flowers that attract hummingbirds and other pollinators. The flowers have five petals and ten protruding stamens tipped with yellow anthers.
Ocotillo blooming periods are dependent on rainfall. After a soaking rain, ocotillo can quickly sprout leaves and flower heads. The plant drops its leaves and goes dormant during drought periods to conserve water. The bright red blooms contrast beautifully against the blue desert skies and tan earth.
In addition to its vibrant flowers, ocotillo is valued for its ability to thrive in hot, arid climates. Its long taproot can reach down over 20 feet to find underground moisture. The plant’s sparse leaves reduce transpiration. Spines deter herbivores from eating the plant’s stems and leaves.
Ocotillo is popular in xeriscaping and native plant gardens in dry regions. It provides striking form, height, and pops of color. Hummingbirds depend on its nectar-rich blooms. Ocotillo also serves as a protective nurse plant, providing shade and protection for seedlings of other species.
Another iconic red-blooming desert plant is chuparosa (Justicia californica), also known as hummingbird bush or beloperone. This deciduous shrub thrives in the deserts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
Chuparosa gets its name from the Spanish words “chupar” meaning to suck and “rosa” meaning rose. This refers to the plant’s tubular red flowers which provide nectar for hummingbirds and other pollinators.
The flowers have no petals. Instead, they have a red tubular calyx with a yellow tip. The flowers are arranged in clusters at the end of the stems and bloom nearly year-round following rains. A chuparosa bush can have thousands of bright red flowers that stand out against the green leaves when it’s in full bloom.
In addition to attracting pollinators, chuparosa provides food and shelter for birds, rabbits, and desert reptiles. Animals will nibble on the leaves and foliage. The branches also make good nesting sites.
Chuparosa grows at a moderate pace and can reach heights of 4-8 feet tall and wide. The shoots and branches emerge at irregular angles, giving the shrub a sprawling, informal shape. Chuparosa thrives in rocky desert soils and requires very little water once established. These qualities make it an excellent choice for desert landscaping. Mass plantings can create drifts of red color.
Several species of prickly pear cactus also produce showy red flowers in desert environments. Prickly pears are opuntia cacti that have flat, padded stems and are found throughout North and South America. In the hot, dry deserts of the American Southwest, colorful prickly pear blooms are a welcoming sight.
– Engelmann’s prickly pear (Opuntia engelmannii) – Grows in drier areas of the Sonoran and Mojave deserts. Produces large, bright reddish-purple flowers.
– Beavertail cactus (Opuntia basilaris) – Found in the southwestern U. S. and northern Mexico. Bears magenta blooms that can be over 4 inches wide.
– Tulip prickly pear (Opuntia phaeacantha) – Named for its red flowers resembling tulips. Native to central Mexico.
– Santa Rita prickly pear (Opuntia santa-rita) – Originally from the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts. Flowers are deep red to purple.
Prickly pear cacti flower in spring and early summer, providing bursts of color against the drab desert backdrop. The flowers open during the daytime to attract pollinators like bees, wasps, beetles, and hummingbirds. Many species have edible fruits that ripen in late summer.
In addition to adding beauty, prickly pear cacti provide food and shelter for desert wildlife. The pads are eaten by desert tortoises, packrats, and other animals. The spines help deter herbivores and protect the water-filled plant.
When people imagine desert landscapes, they often think of sandy, barren vistas with little color. But the desert is actually home to a stunning array of plants that produce brilliant red blooms. These fiery flowers provide a splash of vivid color against golden sand dunes or cacti with their muted greens and grays. Let’s explore some of the most beautiful desert plants that bear striking scarlet, crimson and ruby blossoms.
Penstemons
One of the largest groups of red-flowering desert plants are the penstemons. With at least 271 species, these perennial wildflowers thrive in arid conditions from the Southwest U.S. to Mexico. Penstemons produce tubular blossoms in an array of fiery reds usually with two lips giving them their common name of “beardtongue.”
Some penstemon species with fantastic red blooms include
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Scarlet penstemon (Penstemon triflorus), which blankets hillsides in the Sonoran Desert with tubular scarlet flowers atop tall stalks.
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Superb penstemon (Penstemon superbus), sporting bushy spikes of wide blossoms in rich shades of red and pink.
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Little penstemon (Penstemon subulatus), bearing delicate red trumpets on short, woody stems.
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Eaton’s penstemon (Penstemon eatonii), showing off masses of brilliant red tubular blooms.
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Red beardtongue (Penstemon barbatus), named for its fuzzy red flowers.
Desert Mallow
This aptly named perennial produces flowers reminiscent of hollyhocks. Desert mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua) can be found growing across the hot, arid regions of the Southwest. It produces delicate flowers in orangey-red hues atop tall stems lined with gray-green foliage. These cheery blooms appear from spring into fall. Some types display vivid red coloration.
Ocotillo
The ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) is one of the most striking Sonoran Desert plants when in bloom. This spiny, shrubby succulent sends up tall, skinny stems lined with pointy leaves. But after rainfall, ocotillo stems erupt in flame-red flowers that attract hummingbirds. When not blooming, ocotillo appears leafless and otherworldly.
Chuparosa
Also called hummingbird bush, the chuparosa (Justicia californica) lights up the desert landscape with vibrant red tubular blossoms beloved by hummingbirds. This hardy shrub thrives in hot, dry conditions across the Southwestern U.S. and down into Mexico. Red flowers smother the glossy green leaves nearly year-round depending on rainfall.
Texas Sage
Texas sage (Leucophyllum frutescens) is a rugged, woody shrub common to the Chihuahuan Desert of Texas, New Mexico and Mexico. When conditions are right, it bursts into bloom with dense clusters of tubular red flowers. Called cenizo locally, it makes an attractive drought-tolerant hedge or backdrop planting.
Indian Blanket
Indian blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) is a wildflower prairie native also found across hot southwestern deserts. Its daisy-like flowers come in various shades of red, from bold crimson-red to peachy-orange. Short mounded foliage stays green year-round, and fluffy blooms flower summer into fall, lighting up dry landscapes with their vibrant colors.
Desert Marigold
This tough perennial (Baileya multiradiata) thrives across arid Southwest deserts down into Mexico. Desert marigold produces cheerful yellow blooms, but also comes in a more striking red-flower form. The red blossoms rise alone on tall wiry stems, above silvery ferny foliage. Blooms last from spring well into summer, adding a bright spot of color.
Firecracker Penstemon
As its name suggests, the firecracker penstemon (Penstemon eatonii) produces blasts of fiery red tubular flowers that make it a hummingbird favorite. This penstemon variety displays rich red blossoms along upright stems from late winter into spring across California deserts and the Southwest. Its vibrant blooms contrast beautifully with blue-green foliage.
Desert Sand Verbena
This trailing perennial with fuzzy oval leaves (Abronia villosa) blankets sandy desert floors from California to Arizona with its vivid blossoms. Pale lilac or deep magenta blooms open fully in morning sun, lasting only a day before new buds take over. Desert sand verbena relies on pollination from butterflies and native bees to produce its blankets of red-hued flowers each spring.
Parry’s Penstemon
Parry’s penstemon (Penstemon parryi) produces some of the reddest tubular flowers in the penstemon family. Fat blossoms in blazing lipstick-red hues line upright stalks from mid to late spring. This variety thrives in hot deserts and blends of the Southwest into California, lighting them up with fiery blooms.
Southwest Indian Paintbrush
This native wildflower is named for its red flowers that look like they’ve been dipped in paint. Indian paintbrush (Castilleja integra) displays bushy spikes of vivid blooms, ranging from crimson to red-orange depending on variety and location. It thrives across the hot deserts of the Southwest during spring, sharing its nectar with hummingbirds.
Arizona Rosewood
Arizona rosewood (Vauquelinia californica) is a large desert shrub or small tree that erupts with fantastic flowers after ample rainfall. Clusters of crinkly papery red blooms cover the stiff evergreen foliage from spring into summer. This drought-deciduous plant drops its leaves in extreme drought. But the rosewood’s vivid red flowers shine during wet years across the Southwest.
Barbara’s Buttons
This aptly named annual wildflower (Marshallia caespitosa) blankets parts of the Sonoran Desert in colorful bloom from March to April. Pincushion-like flowers rise on short stems, with petals in hues from yellow to pale red. But the bright red cultivar ‘Barbara’s Buttons’ shows off rich ruby-red blossoms with yellow centers, decorating sandy washes with its vivid color.
The desert is full of many more red-flowering cacti, shrubs, perennials and annuals beyond this small sampling. So next time you picture a desolate landscape of dull browns when hearing the word desert, remember the many plants with brilliant ruby blooms waiting to show off when conditions are right. The desert is full of colorful surprises.
Benefits of Red-Blooming Desert Plants
Desert plants with red flowers provide a number of important benefits and uses:
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Aesthetic beauty | Red blooms create eye-catching color against muted desert backdrops of browns and greens. |
| Food for pollinators | The nectar-rich flowers provide an important food source for hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, wasps, and beetles. |
| Wildlife habitat | Red-blooming desert plants help provide shelter, nesting sites, and food for birds, deer, packrats, rabbits, and reptiles. |
| Drought resistance | Adapted to arid conditions, these plants need minimal watering once established, making them attractive for xeriscaping. |
| Soil stabilization | Extensive root systems help hold soil in place, preventing erosion. |
| Hardy nature | Resilient plants like ocotillo and prickly pear survive the harshest desert conditions of heat, drought, and soil extremes. |
The vibrant red blooms stand out against the desert sands. By attracting pollinators, they support the entire ecosystem. Desert-adapted plants like ocotillo, chuparosa, and prickly pear cacti bring life and beauty to harsh environments. Their striking flowers are a testament to the botanical wonders of the desert.
Other Red-Blooming Desert Plants
Beyond ocotillo, chuparosa, and prickly pear cacti, there are many other red-blooming plants that light up desert landscapes:
– Desert honeysuckle (Anisacanthus thurberi): This medium-sized shrub grows in the desert and has clusters of tube-shaped orange flowers that bloom from spring to fall. Hummingbirds frequent the nectar-rich blooms.
– Claret cup cactus (Echinocereus coccineus) – This small, clump-forming cactusnative to northern Mexico and the southwest U. S. has brilliant red blooms in late spring.
– Desert mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua) is a native perennial herb with orange-red flowers that can bloom almost all year if the conditions are right. An important nectar source.
The butterfly bush, or Buddleja marrubifolia, is a woody perennial shrub that has long clusters of tiny red tubular flowers that butterflies and hummingbirds love.
– Desert marigold (Baileya multiradiata) – A drought-tolerant annual or short-lived perennial with yellow-eyed red daisy-like blooms.
“Scarlet hedgehog cactus” (Echinocereus coccineus) has bright red flower clusters that appear in late spring on this small barrel cactus.
As the name suggests, the Mojave prickly pear (Opuntia erinacea) grows at higher elevations in the Mojave Desert and has flowers that are a shade of purple. Hardy to 15°F.
13 Native Mojave Desert Plants – Catclaw Acacia, Creosote, Jojoba, Cholla, Opuntia, Ephedra
FAQ
What is the name of the plant with a red flower?
What is the Southwest bush with red flowers?
What are the red flowers in Texas?
What is a desert plant?
The easily recognizable feature of the desert plant is its marigold-like flowers measuring 2” (5 cm) across. The flowers bloom in the desert from early spring through late fall. This clumping desert plant thrives in poor, dry soils and hot conditions. The marsh aster is a common flowering plant found in deserts.
What plants grow in the desert?
Some common desert plants include: – **Cacti**: The most common desert plants, cacti are known for their ability to store water in their thick, fleshy stems and leaves.Some popular species of cacti include
What does a flowering desert plant look like?
The flowering desert plant is a herb that blooms with fragrant, funnel-shaped orange-yellowish flowers. The creeping herbaceous plant has shiny, oval, or heart-shaped leaves with lobed, wavy margins. It’s a native plant in Arizona, California, and the Sonoran Desert.
What are the best desert perennials?
Here, we will be discussing some exceptional desert perennials that will give your garden a vibrant touch. Desert Marigold (Baileya multiradiata) is a golden yellow flower that grows in the dry soil of desert regions. It thrives under full sun and has low water requirements, making it ideal for the arid climate.
