• The Southwest is characterized by dry, hot growing conditions.natural rock garden image by Josef F Stuefer from Fotolia.com
  
  The Southwest has many colorful, native perennial plants that are well-suited for the hot, dry growing conditions of the desert garden. These plants are characterized by a hardy underground root system that continue to produce new growth year after year. Plants that are adapted to the Southwest need little, if any, irrigation, making them ideal for water-wise gardens and low-maintenance landscapes. Desert perennials thrive in rocky, nutritionally poor soil provided there is good drainage.
  
  

Small-leaf Globemallow

• Small-leaf globemallow has small, orange-red flowers.desert mallow 2 image by Kathy Burns from Fotolia.com
  
  Small-leaf globemallow (Sphaeralcea parvifolia) is a desert hardy perennial in the Malvaceae, or mallow family. The small red-orange flowers have an open five-leaf pattern and grow clustered along stalks that range from 1 to 3 feet tall. The dark green, lobed leaves grow close to the ground. The bright flowers attract bees, butterflies and other beneficial pollinating insects to the desert garden or landscape. Small-leaf globemallow thrives in the desert conditions of its native range in and around Arches National Park in Utah.
  
  

Beavertail Cactus

• Beavertail cacti thrive in hot, dry conditions.cactus image by Aaron Kohr from Fotolia.com
  
  Beavertail cactus (Opuntia basilaris) is a prickly pear cactus native to the Southwest. The individual stems of the cactus are grey green and shapes like a beavertail standing erect. The leaves grow 6 to 12 inches tall and are covered with thorny spines. When vibrant magenta flowers bloom between February and June, they cover the plant with bright color. The beavertail cactus thrives in sandy, rocky or gravely soil and hot, dry conditions. This cactus cannot withstand temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Like all cacti, the beavertail is a perennial plant.
  
  

Yellow Zinnia

• Yellow zinnia (Zinnia grandiflora) is a colorful, drought tolerant zinnia in the Asteraceae, or Aster, family This low-growing perennial produces vibrant flowers between May and October that attract butterflies and bees. Mature plants grow 6 to 8 inches tall and form a compact, mounded shape. Small silver-grey leaves are needle shaped and remain on the plant all year. Yellow zinnia grows in dry, rocky soil and is an ideal ornamental for rock gardens, rocky hillsides, or as a border around a shrub bed. A position in full sun or partial shade is suitable.
  
  

Century plant

• The century plant produces a flower stalk after 10 years.Century Plant (agave) flower image by Elzbieta Sekowska from Fotolia.com
  
  The century plant (Agave americana) is a perennial succulent in the agave family. The long, sword-shaped leaves are blue-green and grow in a spiral shape from the center of the plant. A century plant grows 6 to 12 feet tall and wide, making it suitable as a focal point in a large rock garden. When the plant is about 10 years old, a 20- to 25-foot flower stalk emerges from the center of the plant and produces a vibrant, yellow inflorescence. The century plant requires full sun and dry, rocky soil.