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Oaks and Mesquites: Varying the Tree Palette in Your Garden

by 505 Outside | Mar 3, 2026 | Blog, Planting, Tree Care

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Learn more here:

Let’s Plant Albuquerque

The Benefit of Trees

Tips for Keeping Mature Trees Healthy

Keep Your Trees Happy: Build a Tree Irrigation Watering System

**Author:** Hunter Ten Broeck, landscape contractor and owner of WaterWise Landscapes Inc. in Albuquerque. Have a question about the article or anything else? [email protected]

Chinquapin Oak, Quercus muhlenbergia

by 505 Outside | Jan 30, 2026 | Deciduous Trees, Trees

Type: Deciduous

Exposure: Sun/Shade

Water Use: Medium

Mature Size: 40’ H x 40’ W

The Chinquapin oak (also spelled Chinkapin)is a rugged, adaptable shade tree native to New Mexico and primarily occurring in the southeastern mountains. This long-lived deciduous tree is valued for its extreme hardiness in arid climates, and it thrives in high-pH, alkaline, and limestone-based soils. It is a premier choice for landscaping in hot, dry areas because of its deep root system and drought tolerance once established. The tree is easily identified by its rough scabby bark and its glossy, dark-green, oblong leaves with serrated edges. In the fall, foliage turns vibrant shades of yellow, gold, orange or copper. It produces small, sweet acorns that are the preferred food for squirrels, deer, wild turkeys and songbirds like woodpeckers and blue jays. Given its potential width of 30-40 feet, plant it where it has room to spread. This oak will provide southern or western shade to homes under its spreading rounded crown.

As a keystone species, it hosts hundreds of caterpillar species that support local bird populations. Native American tribes, such as the Cherokee and Koasati, traditionally used infusions of the bark and roots for medicinal purposes, including treating fevers, headaches and stomach aches.

The El Capitan cultivar is specifically selected from New Mexico populations for its ability to tolerate higher elevations and more arid, low-humidity environments compared to Eastern varieties.

Ornamental Grasses: How and When to Use Them

by 505 Outside | Jan 30, 2026 | Blog, Planting

What is an ornamental grass? Most often, that term is used to describe cultivars of grasses that are used for specific visual appeal such as color, texture, form, movement, seed heads or other structural characteristics that give interest to our landscapes. Grass-like plants such as sedges and rushes are often included in this category. Most are clump-forming rather than spreading. They can be used as tall background screening, dramatic individual vertical forms or low clumping groundcovers. There is a grass or grass-like plant for virtually any spot in the landscape or garden.

Full sun, upright and mounding grasses

Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is one of our most beautiful native grasses! Tall, growing 2-3 feet, this grass is narrow — just a foot or more wide — deep rooted and drought tolerant. This indispensable exclamation point stands upright in the landscape. It is medium green to icy blue in spring and summer months. When autumn and winter temperatures turn most grasses the color of dry straw, little bluestem shines subtly in shades of bronze, ochre and rust. Interspersed in a meadow with blue gramma and side oats grama, little bluestem punctuates the monochromatic tapestry. Standing alone, or in groupings, this grass produces autumn seed heads of silken silver fuzz that shine and shimmer when backlit by the rising or setting sun. Best in full sun and poor to moderate good draining soil. Reseeds easily. Cut once a year, to a low and rounded mound of about 3 inches in early spring, late February-mid March.

Sand lovegrass (Eragrostis trichoides) is a wiry, fine bladed native grass tolerant of sandy to poor soils, full sun, drought, wind and heat. It forms a wide (2-3 feet), rounded mound. From late summer to autumn, seed heads appear on burgundy tinged panicles floating above the foliage. Airy and elegant, the seed heads are distinctive and lovely in dried arrangements. An individual showpiece, this grass looks great when planted in masses, too. Another light catcher that reseeds well. Cut once a year in early spring, to about 2-3 inches high.

Maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis) is a non-native thatgrows 4-5 feet tall. Dwarf varieties are available that are 2-3 feet tall. The form is upright with the top of the plant spreading wider than the base. This grass can be 3-plus feet wide at the top and 2 feet wide at the base. A specimen grass, it’s not for meadows except as an accent or background and works well in groupings. Seed heads form mid to late season, at first appearing like narrow fingers, sometimes with coloration from pink to burgundy, all eventually drying to a blond fluffy appearance like golden clouds over the straw-like blades curling up and out. When backlit by the sun, this can be stunning. Moderate water for this grass is better than low water. Maiden grass does not reseed successfully in our area now but can be thinned and transplanted by division. Cut back once a year in spring, when new green becomes visible at the base. A cut at around 6-8 inches of height can be good for this large grass.

Karl Foerster or feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’) is a non-native, low maintenance vertical grass that produces seeds early, unlike most grasses which produce seed heads later in the season. Like Miscanthus, green and variegated (striped) cultivars are available. This grass likes full sun and moderate water and grows 3-4 feet tall and 1-2-plus feet wide. It makes a statement as a single plant and is great in groups or rows for a contemporary take on plant placement. Does not reseed. Cut back to a height of 3-5 inches once a year in early spring.

Full sun to part shade grasses

June grass (Koeleria macrantha) is a native that can be found growing in our mountains in full sun to part shade. Narrow blue green blades 12-18 inches tall push up in early spring, soon followed by spiky seed heads. The seed heads flush out into narrow, pointed silky bottle brush shapes, catching morning and afternoon light that makes them appear illuminated. Not fussy about soil, except when heavy and wet, this tough grass is drought tolerant and deer resistant. As a cool season grass, it may go dormant in hot dry summers, especially at lower elevations. So while appealing, this plant does not flourish in a hot and dry xeriscape.

Blue avena (Helictotrichon sempervirens), also called blue oat grass, has wiry ice blue blades that form a low, rounded mound around 18-30 inches tall and wide. Narrow seed heads push up, and the seeds soon turn straw colored and give an oat like appearance. This cool season grass is not fussy about soil and is drought tolerant when established. Does not reseed. Cut back once a year in early spring to a rounded 2- to 4-inch mound.

Blue fescue (Festuca ovina glauca) is a blue green form of native sheep’s fescue (Festuca ovina). Fine, needlelike blades and wiry, thin, straw colored seed heads make this small (6-8 inch) grass perfect for small areas, borders and rock gardens. Often keeping color through the winter, this grass is drought tolerant when established. Straight species can reseed while named cultivars like Elijah Blue do not reseed well. Cut back once a year to a height of 2 inches. Requires shade to do well.

Maintenance and selection tips:

Most grasses benefit from having old dry growth thinned out of the center every few years at the time they are cut back. Many grasses can be used in containers or large pots. Grass trimmings can be used as mulch in the landscape (careful with seeds if you don’t want seedlings) or added to your compost.

Some ornamental grasses like pampas grass and Ravenna grass have become invasive here, particularly in the Rio Grande Bosque, so are no longer recommended. Large native grasses like giant sacaton (Sporobolus wrightii) and switch grasses (Panicum species) are good substitutes. There are many species of native grasses that are tough, ornamental, easy to care for and beneficial to native insects, birds and other wildlife, thus being wise selections for our landscapes and gardens.

Learn more here:

What Type of Grass is that?

New and Underutilized Plants for 2026!

Climate Ready Landscapes!

Author: Wes Brittenham, landscape professional. Have a question about the article or anything else? [email protected]

Common Planting Design Mistakes

by 505 Outside | Jan 30, 2026 | Blog, Design, Do It Yourself (DIY), Planting

1. Too many different plants spread out like polka dots

Often when homeowners begin to design their yard, they get excited by the variety of plants in our Xeriscape Guide. Similarly, going to a well-stocked nursery in the spring can be like going to a candy store — you might say to yourself, ‘I’ll take one of everything!’ However, it’s good advice to resist that urge and instead attempt a more cohesive ensemble of plants and trees. Grouping plants, especially smaller ones or perennials that have less dense forms, can maximize their effect by creating masses of various sizes and contribute to the feeling of a more natural landscape.

In these instances, you can pair plants that have widely different leaf shapes, like the agave and ephedra pictured below. The effect is something you wouldn’t appreciate if there was a large gap between the plants. A lot of flora have distinctive attributes like bark patterns, seedheads, dried flowers or an overall shape that allow them to stand out when accompanied by contrasting plants.

If you’re not sure where to start on your own yard design, check out our landscape templates here. You’ll notice there is a lot of variety in each design, but the same plant symbols appear next to each other throughout the yards. The three landscape architects and designers who contributed these templates have tons of combined experience designing beautiful and sustainable landscapes in New Mexico, and their templates are worth checking out!

Benefits of installing multiple plants of the same variety

Visual impact: Let’s take a really great flowering perennial like Gaura or whirling butterflies (Oenothera lindheimeri) as an example. It has airy small white (or light pink) flowers less than an inch wide atop thin branches that sway in the breeze — visually it doesn’t stand out unless you’re right in front of it. If you were to plant a single specimen of Gaura in the middle of a yard it could almost disappear. Instead, we suggest a group of three in a triangle or row closer to paths or windows to maximize their impact — just like they’ve done in this photo taken at Presbyterian Rust Medical Center on the West Side.

Attracting pollinators: Grouping flowering plants that attract pollinators can really make it worth the effort for them to visit. Perennials bloom at different times from spring to fall, and in a small yard you may have only one type of plant flowering at a given time. A group of at least three of the same perennial will be hard for pollinators to miss as they go about their business of collecting pollen and nectar. Then they’ll be able to save their energy for building nests and breeding.
Reduced maintenance: If you’re new to xeriscaping or gardening, having fewer varieties of plants in groups can make maintaining them (and learning names and growth habits) less overwhelming. Instead of starting out with a mishmash of plants installed everywhere, you’ll be able to get your head around the maintenance more easily because the yard is divided into manageable areas. Also, if you pay someone for yard care, you may need to explain to them when, how (and if) to do the work. A smaller plant palette grouped by variety can help simplify the job. You could say to them: “This year for all the woody evergreen shrubs next to the sidewalk, don’t use hedge trimmers but do remove one-third of the oldest branches at the base.”

So if you head to the nursery to buy 10 plants this spring, consider coming home with just two or three varieties that together will make a real impression.

2. Symmetrical vs. informal plant layout

Another mistake DIYers sometimes make when designing landscapes is opting for a symmetrical layout for the new plants. For instance, they will have corresponding rows of evergreen shrubs on either side of a path as shown below. There are a couple of reasons why this is less than ideal. One is that an unhealthy plant (or worse, one that is dead) is immediately noticeable. Also, in a formal layout, you’re anticipating that the plants will grow to a uniform size and shape. However, this is not the case with native and xeric-adapted plants (and most plants, really). Once in the ground, they’ll be responding to all sorts of different conditions. Too much shade from a nearby tree limits a plant’s mature size, or extra water from the roof causes one to get larger than the others, for example. And if you did need to replace one plant in a formal layout, it could take a while for the new one to catch up to the others (assuming you able to find the same variety as the originals).

In an informal or “naturalistic” layout, a missing plant is not an issue because there’s not an expectation for that space to be filled. It also allows flexibility in the design — shade-loving plants near the tree, plants that can handle more water under the downspout. If a particular plant isn’t doing well, you can transplant it to another location. Using an informal or naturalistic planting design allows you to add to your garden over time as it matures and changes for years to come.

Selecting plants for your yard can feel overwhelming to a new gardener. We hope these tips help you avoid common mistakes, and remember that we're always here to support you. If you have questions about plant selection, feel free to send photos and details of your yard to [email protected] — we’ll be happy to help.

Learn more here:

Let’s Plant Albuquerque

Simple Steps to Get Started Designing your Yard

Desert Friendly Design Templates

Author: Carl Christensen, Xeriscape Inspector. Have a question about the article or anything else? [email protected]

Symphoricarpos albus, Snowberry

by 505 Outside | Jan 12, 2026 | Deciduous Shrubs, Shrubs, Uncategorized

Type: Deciduous

Exposure: Full Sun

Water Use: Medium

Mature Size: 6’ H x 6’ W

This shrub is sparsely branched, growing 2–5 feet tall and gradually forming a thicket 4–6 feet wide. Its slender, wiry twigs bear small, opposite leaves and pinkish white bell shaped tiny flower clusters, which are followed by large, snow-white berry-like fruit. It can be found along stream beds, making it a great plant for beneath the runoff of downspouts.

Related species include coralberry (S. orbiculatus), known for its purplish-green flowers and clusters of pink berries, and wolfberry (S. occidentalis), a dry prairie shrub with pale pink flowers, leathery oval leaves and greenish-white fruit.

This plant has many traditional and medicinal uses, according to the National Park Service, “Fresh berries can be crushed and rubbed on skin to cleanse and soothe; they also heal rashes and burns. Native Americans used the berries to clean their hair. Roots were soaked to make tea to treat stomach disorders, and tea made from twigs treated fevers. The spindly branches can be tied together to make brooms.”

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