Native Plants Of Mexico

Allspice

Allspice, which is also known as Jamaican pepper, is actually the name of the dried fruit that comes from the Pimenta dioica mid-canopy tree. Over time, the name of the dried fruit has also become synonymous with the name of the tree, which is now commonly referred to as the allspice tree. The plant ranges from being a small, scrubby tree to a tall canopy tree as it can grow to anywhere between 33 to 59 feet (10 to 18 meters) in height and is classified as being a evergreen shrub. During Columbus's second voyage to the New World in 1493 he discovered the plant in Jamaica and for a long time after that the plant was though to only grow there as no one could figured out how to grow the seeds elsewhere. Eventually it was discovered that the seeds could be spread by passing through birds and now grows everywhere from Tonga to Hawaii to Mexico. Today, allspice is a very important ingredient in much of Caribbean and Middle Eastern cuisine. It is also a popular ingredient in American desserts, common in Great Britain and used by many commercial sausage makers around the world.

Spinyleaf Zinnia

Spinyleaf Zinnia, also known by its scientific name Zinnia acerosa, is a perennial ( a plant that lives for more than two years), low growing, flowering plant. Spinyleaf Zinnia is commonly found in the United States in the southwestern states of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah, as well as in Mexico in its northern states of Coahuila, Chihuahua, Durango, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Sonora, and Zacatecas. It is a small plant, only growing up to 6.4 inches (16 centimeters) tall, and has extremely narrow leaves that grow up to 0.8 inches (2 centimeters) long. The plant also produces a lovely view as each flower head produces four to seven yellow or white ray flowers that are surrounded by eight to thirteen yellow or purple disc flowers.

Thompson's Yucca

Thompson's Yucca, also known by its scientific name Yucca thompsoniana, is plant that is native to the American state of Texas and the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Coahulia. It is part of the Asparagaceae family of flowering plants. Thompson's Yucca generally grows to be anywhere between 6 to 12 feet (1.82 to 3.65 meters) tall. The trunk of the plant grows up to be 3,28 feet (1 meter) tall and the leaves of the plant are narrow and sharp looking, being up to 13.77 inches (25 centimeters) long and 1.37 inches (10 millimeters) wide. The plant produces 1.57 inch (4 centimeter) long white flowers, and the fruit that the plant produces looks similar to an egg-shaped capsule.

Six Weeks Grama

Six Weeks Grama, also known by its scientific name Bouteloua barbata, is a species of grass that is native to the southwestern regions of the United States and throughout Mexico as far south as the state of Oaxaca. It has also been known to occur in the state of Montana and is also found in Argentina. The grass grows to be anywhere from 12 to 20 inches (30 to 75 centimeters) tall. That plant produces small fruits that weight only 0.03 milligrams and its seeds transported by the wind or by animals eating the fruit. The grass is very hardy and grows in a variety of habitats and locations. Many types of birds, prairie dogs, harvester ants and other various animals eat the seeds of this grass as food.

Mayfield's Sunflower

Mayfield's Sunflower, also known by its scientific name Conoclinium mayfieldii, is a subspecies of the Conoclinium genus of flowering plants that is only found in Mexico. It is also part of the sunflower family of plants. The plant is found in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range in the state of Chihiahua and Durango and also in the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range in the state of Tamaulipas. The plant grows to be up to 28 inches (70 centimeters) tall with leaves that are egg-shaped. That plant often produces several cluster of flower heads that are blue or lavender colored disc floret types.

Brushholly

Brushholly, also known by its scientific name Xylosma flexuosa, is part of the Salicaceae willow family, and is also a species of flowering plant. The species has a wide range as it is found from the southern part of the state of Texas in America, throughout all of Mexico and Central America and extends into Venezuela in South America. It is also oddly enough found in the Caribbean only in the island nation of Curaçao. The plant is a evergreen shrub that is very spiny with thorns. It usually grow to be a height of around 3.3 to 6.6 feet (1 to 2 meters) tall but has been known to be able to grow as tall as 20 to 26 feet ( 6 to 8 meters). That plant also produces berries that are usually red or yellow throughout the year, which some birds eat for food.

Acapulco Wedelia

Acapulco Wedelia, also known by its scientific name Wedelia acapulcensis, is a species of plant that is part of the sunflower family, Asteraceae, and it is also a flowering plant. It is only found in Texas in America, but it is common throughout Mexico and Central America. That plant is a shrub that can grow anywhere from 8 inches to 3 feet (20.32 to 91.44 centimeters) tall with a woody base and it is very leafy. That plant has gray to green colored leaves on it that contrast with the flowers the plant produces that comes in lovely colors ranging between yellow and orange.

Tourist-Plant

The Tourist Plant, also known by its scientific name Dimorphocarpa wislizeni, is part of the mustard family of plants, and is also a flowering plant. It is found in western and southwestern parts of the United States from Oklahoma to California and in the northern Mexican states of Sonora, Chihuahua and Coahuila. The plant grows to be anywhere from 3.93 to 31.49 inches (10 to 80 centimeters) tall and its leaves are mostly lance-shaped with sharp toothed edges. That plant usually grows in sandy areas, such as in the desert shrub-lands or in the pinyon-juniper woodlands. The flowers on the plant have either lavender or white colored petals and the fruit of the plant where the seeds are located, commonly called a spectacle pod, has a unique double-lobed look to it.

Rough Joint-Fir

The Rough Joint-fir, also known by its scientific name Ephedra aspera, is a species of the Ephedra group of plants. It is found in the southwestern states of the United States of America from Texas to California and is also found in parts of northern Mexico down into the state of Zacatecas. The plant is usually found as part of various scrub plant or woodland communities with other plants. The plant is particularity tall for being a shrub as it is often found at or taller then 3.3 feet (1 meter) in height. The plant is made up of many long yellow-gold colored twigs with extremely small leaves. Both male and female versions of the plants produce pollen cones, although the female version is darker in color with slightly larger seed bearing cones.

Totoloche Grape

The Totoloche Grape, also known by its scientific name Vitis popenoei, is part of the grape family of plants, and is also a species of liana. The plant is found in the Mexican states of Chiapas, Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Puebla, Querétaro, Tabasco, and Veracruz, as well as throughout all of Belize and in the Guatemalan department of Alta Verpaz. The plant is considered to be a shrub and normally grows in a vine habitat. Being part of the grape family the plant produces grapes.