False indigo bush is a deciduous shrub that typically spreads 10–10 feet tall and wide. It has loosely branching, leafy stems and forms dense thickets, especially along riverbanks. It spreads readily via self-seeding and suckers. The plant is known for attracting pollinators with its showy, spike-like clusters of purple to dark blue flowers that bloom from May to July. The foliage is fine-textured and concentrated on the upper third of the plant, with leaflets velvety underneath. It produces small fruit pods containing 1–2 seeds. The shrub is highly variable and adaptable, thriving in riparian zones, moist woods, slopes, canyons, drainages in elevations from 3,700–6,800 feet (1128–2073 m).
With our hot summers and low precipitation, growing vegetables in NM can be challenging. This talk will provide strategies and recommendations for growers to cultivate a thriving vegetable harvest in the region. Discussion will include irrigation and infrastructure suggestions, as well as selection of vegetable varieties that are well-adapted to the area.
Instructor:Stephanie Walker, PhD. Professor and Vegetable Specialist, New Mexico State University, Extension Plant Sciences Department.
Maintaining Tree Health During Drought
Learn from Albuquerque’s leading tree expert how to identify drought stress in trees, understand their responses to drought, and implement strategies to keep them alive and thriving in hot, dry weather.
Instructor:Joran Viers, Board Certified Master Arborist and Municipal Specialist, International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). Senior Arborist, Legacy Tree Company, Albuquerque. Former City Forester, City of Albuquerque
Creating a Drought-Tolerant Refuge for Yourself and Wildlife
Instructor:Laurel Ladwig, M.S. She is the ABQ Backyard Refuge Program Director for the Friends of Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, a part-time faculty member in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, and Associate Director of the R.H. Mallory Center for Community Geography at the University of New Mexico and is enthusiastic about all opportunities to encourage people to develop a relationship with our wild neighbors.
Designing Resilient Landscapes: Plant Adaptations, Communities, and Selection for Arid Environments
Instructor:Maria Thomas is the Curator of Plants at the ABQ BioPark where she manages the botanical exhibits, plant collections, horticultural staff, and related programs for the 150-acre public park and garden. Additionally, Maria is an Adjunct Professor at the University of New Mexico in the Landscape Architecture department.
Climate-Ready Trees- Planting for a Warmer and (Hopefully) Shadier Future
Instructor:Marisa Y. Thompson, PhD Extension Urban Horticulture Specialist. New Mexico State University Department of Extension Plant Sciences, Los Lunas Agricultural Science Center, Think Trees NM, President of the Board (2023-current).
Plant Adaptations to Heat & Drought
Noticing the Ways Plants Thrive in our Yards and Natural Areas Learn how to Recognize Drought-Adapted Traits in Everyday Plants all Around Us.
Instructor:Marisa Y. Thompson, PhD Extension Urban Horticulture Specialist. New Mexico State University Department of Extension Plant Sciences, Los Lunas Agricultural Science Center, Think Trees NM, President of the Board (2023-current).
Hose Bib Tree Irrigation System for Your Trees: Simple Systems for Thriving Trees!
Instructor:Richard Perce has twenty years’ experience working with trees and irrigation here in New Mexico. He is a former certified arborist and currently holds the Irrigation Association’s Landscape Irrigation Auditor certification and is a certified QWEL irrigation instructor. He worked as a landscape contractor for more than a decade and is the Water Authority’s former Irrigation Efficiency Specialist. He also has a Masters of Community and Regional Planning from UNM and currently works at Anthropopulus Design + Planning.
Passive Rainwater Harvesting
This workshop introduces participants to the principles and practices of passive rainwater harvesting. Attendees will learn how to capture, slow, spread, and infiltrate rainwater into the landscape using simple, low-cost methods such as swales, berms, and basins. The workshop emphasizes working with the natural flow of water to reduce runoff, prevent erosion, and support healthy soil and plant life. By implementing passive rainwater harvesting, participants can conserve water, and create more resilient, self-sustaining landscapes.
Instructors:Anthony Luketich, Natural Resource Scientist, Anthony Luketich is a Natural Resources Scientist for Bernalillo County where he is focused on water conservation and water-wise landscape practices. He received a degree in Watershed Management and Ecohydrology from the University of Arizona where he studied the relationship between trees and water. Anthony has worked across the Southwest US as a research scientist as well as a water harvesting field technician where he became a certified water harvesting practitioner.
Bobby Mullin, Natural Resource Scientist, Bernalillo County Stormwater Quality Program Bobby Mullin is a Natural Resource Scientist for Bernalillo County in the Stormwater Quality Program. He focuses on improving stormwater quality in the Middle Rio Grande Watershed and promoting sustainable and resilient landscapes using Green Stormwater Infrastructure and rainwater harvesting. Bobby received his Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from Bucknell University in 2011. Before joining Bernalillo County, he had worked as an environmental consultant remediating contaminated soil and groundwater and as a Research Scientist studying the impacts of climate change, drought and plant mortality in New Mexico ecosystems.
Xeriscape: The Desert Friendly Yard
Join us for learning all of the tips, and benefits of our Xeriscape program!
3 Steps to Landscape Success
Service, Settings, and Selection are the keys to landscape success!
Leadplant is a hardy, drought-tolerant native shrub commonly found in Southwestern landscapes. It is valued for its deep root system, which helps stabilize soil and improve its ability to retain water. Leadplant is in the Pea plant family and also enriches the soil by fixing nitrogen from the atmosphere, improving the soil. Its attractive purple flowers that bloom in late July support pollinators and its foliage of densely hairy leaflets provide shade, creating microclimates that protect neighboring plants from extreme heat. It occurs from grasslands to ponderosa forests in northeast and scattered Central New Mexico.
Growing vegetables successfully in the hot, arid climate of New Mexico can be tough. My partner and I have extensive farming experience and education in permaculture from the mid-west and we found that it took us several seasons of observations, learning and adjustment before we could have a thriving food garden in Albuquerque.
Success came when we stopped fighting the environmental conditions and started working with them. Instead of forcing plants to survive in habitat they weren’t adapted to, we began focusing on supporting natural systems that already exist in the Southwest. Observing the flow of energy across the land — the movement of sun, wind, water and heat — taught us a great deal. We started paying attention to where water naturally collected, where afternoon shade formed, how soil stayed cooler under plant cover, and how native plants thrived with little care.
It is important to begin not by digging in (literally or metaphorically) but by observing what is already happening in the area where you want your garden. Some questions to ask yourself are Where do I get sun? How does water flow in the garden? How can I get the best energy storage in my garden? How is my soil? What plants do I want to grow? What other things might affect them (animals, wind, etc.)?
SUN: Look out for the sun!
The Southwestern sun is not only harsh but ever present in the landscape. Always observe how sunlight enters your garden, areas that have full sun, partial shade or full shade. This will be very helpful in designing where to grow specific plants or vegetables. Have a dedicated notebook for this and make your observations by seeing where other plants are already growing. Ask your neighbors what works for them!
Observing sun patterns and learning from native plants — many of which grow beneath partial shade or alongside rocks and shrubs — can help guide crop placement and shading strategies. While most vegetable crops require six to eight hours of sunlight, prolonged afternoon sun in the Southwest can be damaging. Timing is critical. Heat- and drought-adapted crops benefit from being planted early enough to establish deep root systems before peak summer temperatures or timed to take advantage of late-summer monsoon moisture.
Reduce heat stress with shade.
If your observation diary is telling you that you have almost full sun in most of the garden, then it may be time to think about how you can use simple solutions to add shade.
A shade cloth rated between 30% and 50% lowers temperatures while still allowing sufficient light for photosynthesis. When installed over beds during the hottest months, shade cloth helps prevent sun scalding, reduces moisture loss and minimizes flower and fruit drop.
Create shade with native plants like ocotillo, mesquite and rabbitbrush. Living fences can also be used to create beneficial microclimates by providing afternoon shade, reducing drying winds and moderating temperature extremes.
Creating shade for tomato plants.
SOIL: Essentially, all life depends upon the soil. It is the home for your seeds.
Healthy soil is the foundation of any successful vegetable garden. In the Southwest soil is usually low in organic matter and exposed to intense heat along with not having any cover during the harsh summer months. Living soils — those rich in organic matter and biological activity — retain moisture more effectively, cycle nutrients efficiently and buffer plants against temperature extremes.
To get living soil, start by saving your food scraps from the kitchen! They have nutrients that your soil needs. Building organic matter through compost (made from your kitchen scraps), mulch (from dried fallen leaves, straw, etc.) and continuous root growth (from growing cover crops like winter wheat, rye or barley) supports fungi, bacteria and other organisms in your soil that make nutrients available to plants.
Many native Southwestern plants thrive in undisturbed soils, offering a useful model for garden management. Soil, when protected and undisturbed, can be naturally rich in nutrients, living organisms and living roots. This creates soil that stores water longer, resists erosion and supports plants through heat and drought. Tilling or digging deep can expose these living organisms to the harsh sun, killing all the healthy parts of the soil. Reducing tillage helps preserve soil structure, fungal networks and pore spaces, allowing water to infiltrate deeply rather than evaporating or running off. Most vegetables prefer soil that drains well while still retaining moisture. Improving soil aggregation through organic matter allows soil to hold water like a sponge while maintaining adequate airflow to plant roots.
How to keep your soil full of nutrients and moisture.
Heavy mulching: In urban areas, we have the bad habit of raking all our leaves into plastic bags, but that is quite counterproductive. These leaves actually serve a very important function: They provide natural mulch and keep the soil from getting too hot or losing too much moisture. They also provide homes to bees and other insects that burrow in them for the winter. Heavy mulching is central to water conservation, weed suppression and living-soil management. A thick mulch layer — typically 3-4 inches — keeps soil covered, reduces evaporation and moderates soil temperatures. Use organic mulches such as straw, shredded leaves, wood chips, compost and grass clippings. Mulch can be easily attainable for free. Grab the neighbors’ bags of fall leaves, ask local tree pruning companies for their woodchips, or use your backyard compost. Other options are corn and rice husks and straw waste from mushroom growers.
High-density plantings: Planting really close together protects soil by shading the surface and reducing moisture loss. As plants transpire, they release moisture into the surrounding air, creating a cooler, more humid microclimate near the soil surface that benefits both crops and soil life.
Continuous soil cover: Don’t leave your soil bare; after a harvest, plant a cover crop. It could be something that helps give different nutrients to the soil in winter such as winter wheat or barley or let the skeletons of the previous plants stay. Try the chop and drop method which uses the unused part of the plant harvest as cover during non-planting months.
Ultimately, it is important to remember that feeding the soil food web with a variety of materials/food and rotating what you grow in that soil is important. When they break down, they improve soil structure and fertility over time.
Harvesting carrots from nutrient rich soil.
WATER: Oh Water! What would we do without you?
Water is one of the most important elements and energy systems that you need to plan for in your garden. Water might feel like a renewable, ever-present resource, but we know it is limited in the Southwest. Efficient irrigation is essential for vegetable production in water-limited environments.
Three Types of Watering Methods
Drip irrigation systems are widely recommended because they deliver water directly to the root zone, minimizing evaporation and runoff. ¼-inch in-line drip tubing is particularly well suited for vegetable beds. These lines feature evenly spaced 6” or 12” emitters that provide consistent moisture along plant rows. When installed beneath mulch, they offer precise water delivery while keeping foliage dry, reducing the risk of fungal disease.
Olla means “pot” in Spanish, but the concept of using ollas as an irrigation system goes back thousands of years in many cultures. An olla watering system is basically any type of unglazed clay pot that is buried beneath the soil with only a small amount sticking up above the surface and filled with water. You can tell that a pot is unglazed because it will be that classic terracotta red color with no shiny finish or paint. The water then leeches out of tiny holes or pores in the clay and is pulled through the soil to the roots of your thirsty plants using a process called soil moisture tension. This functions much the same way as osmosis in that the water is trying to equalize to a certain level of moisture within the soil. This means your soil will never become overwatered either — if the soil is moist, the water stays in the pot until it is needed.
Other irrigation options include soaker hoses, overhead sprinklers and hand watering. Soaker hoses are affordable but clog, degrade in the sun and use more water, while sprinklers tend to waste water and increase disease pressure by wetting leaves. Hand watering is flexible but time-consuming and often inconsistent. For most gardens, a hose attached irrigation system combining a 3/4-inch main line with ¼-inch drip tubing offers the best balance of efficiency and control. Learn how to make one here.
Hand watering a winter vegetable garden.
BIODIVERSITY: Beneficial insects and ecological balance
A healthy vegetable garden is supported not only by sun, soil and water, but by insects that help regulate pest populations naturally. When gardens provide habitat for beneficial insects — such as lady bugs, spiders, green lacewings, parasitic wasps, native bees and predatory beetles — many common garden pests never reach damaging levels. And larger species like lizards and birds can minimize pests such as grasshoppers.
Diverse plantings of varying flowering herbs, native plants, mulch and undisturbed soil create food and shelter for these beneficial species. In a balanced ecosystem, predators and parasitoids feed on aphids, caterpillars, mites and other pests, preventing outbreaks before they occur. Rather than eliminating insects entirely, successful gardens support a web of life where no single species dominates.
Avoid broad-spectrum chemical pesticides. These products often kill beneficial insects before controlling pests and will harm your health, the soil's health and anything that feeds from your garden. When the right insects are present and the ecosystem is healthy, troublesome pests are rarely a serious problem and intervention is often unnecessary.
Pollination in action.
RESILIENT CROPS: Some crops and seed to consider
Heirloom and regionally adapted crops are especially well suited to the Southwest’s heat and low-water conditions. Chiles such as Chimayo, Española Improved, and New Mexico No. 9 tolerate high temperatures and are ideal for roasting or drying. Beans including tepary, Zuni gold and Anasazi are extremely drought-tolerant and improve soil fertility through nitrogen fixation.
Squash and pumpkins, including calabacita and Navajo pumpkin, require minimal care once established and naturally shade the soil, helping conserve moisture. Onions such as New Mexico 6-4 handle heat well and are a flavorful staple in Southwestern kitchens. Hopi red, golden and yellow amaranth is an ancient grain that is nutrient dense, and you can eat its leaves and seeds that are high in calcium and iron. These plants require less water and fertilizer than modern hybrids and form the backbone of resilient, climate-adapted gardens.
Buy non-GMO seed that supports organic farmers. Then plan to save your own seeds and grow your collection. There is a beautiful sense of accomplishment that comes not only from harvesting what you grew from seed, but also saving your best harvest’s seed so those plants can grow next year and the year after. Seeds pass on what they learned about their surroundings to the next generation, so if you save your seed, your plants will be stronger, happier and more adapted.
By observing local environmental patterns, managing the sun, building healthy soil, conserving water, fostering biodiversity and choosing resilient crops, you can grow a thriving vegetable garden even in the tough conditions of the Southwest.
Prepping garlic for planting.Healthy garden bed with straw mulch.
Water-Wise Vegetable Gardening Webinar
With our hot summers and low precipitation, growing vegetables in NM can be challenging. This talk will provide strategies and recommendations for growers to cultivate a thriving vegetable harvest in the region. Discussion will include irrigation and infrastructure suggestions, as well as selection of vegetable varieties that are well-adapted to the area.
Instructor: Stephanie Walker, PhD. Professor and Vegetable Specialist, New Mexico State University, Extension Plant Sciences Department.
Authors: Sachika Goel and Cody Louscher, Water Conservation Specialist with the Water Authority. Have a question about the article or anything else? AskAnExpert@abcwua.org
Trees play a vital role in the plant palette for Albuquerque gardens. They provide cooling shade, screening, and habitat for birds, pollinators and other wildlife. Trees take more time to establish than shrubs or smaller plants. They live longer but are more expensive than other plants, so it is vital to select a tree that will thrive and provide the most benefit over its lifespan.
Often people select trees based on what they see in their neighborhood or what is most readily available at the nurseries. Unfortunately, when too many of one species are planted, the possibility of pest issues rises greatly, and entire swaths of trees can die off at the same time. (For example, Dutch elm disease and emerald ash borers have killed millions of trees in other areas of the U.S.) Planting a diverse selection of trees minimizes the possibility of mass species extinction. Trees are generally resilient, and varying the species planted protects against a variety of harmful conditions.
Oaks
Oak trees (Quercus) tend to be very long-lived and tough trees, well adapted to the climate conditions in Albuquerque. There are about 30 species of oaks native to New Mexico. They vary greatly in size, form, foliage and growth rate. Some are deciduous while others are evergreen. There is an oak suitable for almost any place in your landscape.
Chinkapin (aka Chinquapin) oak — Quercus muehlenbergii — is a faster growing, larger oak for our area. They can grow from 25’ to 50’ tall . It produces large acorns which wildlife relish and were an important food source for Native Americans. They are an excellent shade tree with subtle color in the fall. This tree is both very heat and cold tolerant and prefers well-drained soil. Water to 24" depth twice a month once established at around three years. Tree establishment rule of thumb is the first year the tree sleeps, second year the tree creeps and the third year it is established and ready to leap.
Chinkapin Oak
Texas red oak — Quercus texana — is another large deciduous shade tree, growing to about 35’ in Albuquerque. This beauty has long-lasting, spectacular red to maroon fall foliage that will become a focal point in your garden. This tree prefers to be planted in cooler areas surrounded by wood chip mulch.
Texas Red Oak
Gambel oak — Quercus gambelii — is an adaptable, native deciduous tree whose shape can vary from a large shrubby cluster to a single-trunk tree. It grows 10’ to 30’ tall in groups and is found at both higher and lower elevations of our local mountains. It provides food and shelter to many wildlife species. Depending on its form and how it’s pruned, Gambel oak can be used as a informal hedge or as an individual shade tree. The red to maroon fall foliage gradually turns brown and persists well into winter, which can provide extended screening.
Quercus gambelii (Photo by @BrandtMagic)
Another native, shrub live oak — Quercus turbinella — has small, holly-like silvery green leaves. This slow grower should be considered more of a shrub and is found locally in the foothills. It is very long-lived (hundreds of years) and grows into a thick trunked form when fully mature.
Escarpment live oak — Quercus fusiformus — is a regionally native tree that can grow 25’ to 30’ tall and 25’ wide in Albuquerque. Its oblong evergreen leaves provide both shade and year-round screening with the benefit of minimal fall cleanup. Make sure to plant the escarpment and the shrub live oak from late spring to the end of summer as cold season planting tends to stunt their establishment and growth.
Escarpment Live Oak
Mesquites
Mesquites are native trees well adapted to extreme heat and drought conditions. Some are not very cold hardy so are best planted in warm or protected microclimates (courtyards or against south or west facing walls). Their spring flowers provide a great resource for pollinators, and their beans can be ground into a sweet flour for baking.
Honey mesquite — Prosopis glandulosa — is a great, tough, small to medium sized tree that can eventually be completely removed from irrigation. 'Maverick' mesquite is a thornless cultivar that is more user friendly in an urban landscape but is not as cold hardy. 'Maverick' can accommodate heavily trafficked courtyards and along pathways. Unlike the regular honey mesquite the 'Maverick' cultivar may need continued watering over its lifetime. Both these trees do better in warmer areas south of Albuquerque.
Honey Mesquite
Screwbean mesquite — Prosopis pubescens — is a very drought tolerant multi-trunk tree. It grows up to 20’ tall. As it can handle periods of extra water (flooding), it works well in a rainwater harvesting basin. Locally you will find it growing in the bosque near Socorro. Its unique seed pods look like wonderful mini sculptures. This tree may take some work to find in nurseries, but it is well worth the search.
Screwbean Mesquite Pods
Fundamentally, when selecting trees for your landscape, it’s crucial to find a tree that will thrive in the space and micro-climate where you want to plant it. Oaks and mesquites can provide a variety of options in an Albuquerque garden.
Author: Hunter Ten Broeck, landscape contractor and owner of WaterWise Landscapes Inc. in Albuquerque. Have a question about the article or anything else? AskAnExpert@abcwua.org
