Springtime Flowers of Santa Fe By Tya Bussell

Looking to start your flowerbeds this spring and want to honor the Northern Central New Mexican foliage? New to Santa Fe and trying to determine which are the native plants along the trails? I have some tips for you!

Santa Fe Native Plant Project (SNaPP) is a certification and public education program of the Santa Fe Master Gardener Association, whose mission is to encourage the use of native plants in the local landscape. This is important because without native plants, our wildlife is at risk of extinction. Native plants are not invasive. An invasive plant is one growing outside its natural range. Invasive/nonnative plants aggressively spread into natural areas, and threaten our native plant communities, which can further disrupt the surrounding ecosystem. Using native plants in landscaping helps the local wildlife, such as bees and birds.

Native Santa Fe flowers:

Purple Aster (Dieteria befelovii), Indian (firewheel) Blanketflower (Gaillardia Pulchella), Black-eyed Susan/Coneflower (Rudbeckia hirta), Cowpen Daisy/Golden Crownbeard (Verbesina encelioides), Skyrocke/Scarlet Giliga (Ipomopsis aggregata), Prairie Primrose (Oenothera albicaulis), Desert

Marigold (Baileya multiradiata), Prairie/Lesser Sunflower (Helianthus petiolaris)

Purple Aster

Indian (Firewheel) Blanketflower

Invasive/Nonnative Flowers in Santa Fe:

Bull/Spear Thistle (Cursium vulgare), Tall Whitetop/Perennial Pepperweed (Lepidium latfolium), Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia esula), Diffuse Knapweed (Centaurea diffusa), Hoary Cress (Lepidium draba), Yellow Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris), Yellow Starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis), Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum)

Bull/Spear Thistle

Tall Whitetop/Perennial Pepperweed

If you see any of these invasive species, feel free to remove them, but make sure to wear gloves.

If you see or buy any native plants, look up best care practices. Each plant will thrive in its researched best watering amount and sun location.