Keystone Plants of the Southwest
The desert Southwest hosts a distinct and specialized native plant community adapted to heat, drought, and intense solar radiation. Native sunflowers support the most specialist bees of any plant genus in this ecoregion; desert willows and mesquite anchor riparian and wash habitats.
States: AZ, NM, NV, UT (southern), TX (western)
Level III Ecoregions in this region
Top Keystone Trees
Ranked by caterpillar species supported (NWF / Tallamy data)
| Genus | Common name | Caterpillar spp. |
|---|---|---|
| Salix | Desert willow / coyote willow | 214 |
| Prosopis | Mesquite | — |
| Quercus | Arizona white oak / Emory oak | 253 |
Top Keystone Perennials
Ranked by pollen specialist bee species supported (Fowler data)
| Genus | Common name | Specialist bees |
|---|---|---|
| Helianthus | Desert sunflower | 89 |
| Baileya | Desert marigold | 25 |
| Encelia | Brittlebush / desert encelia | 29 |
Native Plants in the Directory
No plants in the directory for this region yet.
The directory is actively being expanded — check back soon.
Data source: Keystone plant rankings based on NWF Keystone Plants by Ecoregion and Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire (2020), Nature Communications. Specialist bee data from Fowler (2016), USDA Forest Service.
Get results for your specific location
Enter your zip code for a ranked list filtered to your exact ecoregion and growing conditions.