Plants that thrive in Las Vegas, NV
Las Vegas landscapes need Mojave-adapted plants that take 110 degree summers and mid-20s winter nights on about 4 inches of annual rain. Desert willow, cenizo, red yucca, deer grass, golden barrel cactus, autumn sage, and trailing lantana are the dependable core. The mistake most often made here is copying a Phoenix plant list: Las Vegas is meaningfully colder in winter, so tender subtropicals that survive the Valley of the Sun freeze out here.
Las Vegas growing conditions at a glance
- USDA hardiness zone
- 9a
- Region
- the Mojave Desert and the Las Vegas Valley
- Rainfall
- about 4 inches a year, the least of any major U.S. metro
- Soil
- highly alkaline desert soil, low in organic matter, frequently with caliche
- Hardest condition to design around
- the combination of near-zero rainfall and real winter cold. The Valley regularly drops into the mid 20s, which rules out many plants that thrive in Phoenix
Trees and large shrubs
Shade first. In a 4-inch-rainfall city, a tree that shades a west wall does more for comfort and cooling cost than any other plant.
Desert Willow
Chilopsis linearis
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Low, once established
- Mature size
- 15 to 25 ft tall and wide
Caveat: Deciduous, so it gives you nothing in winter, and it drops seed pods and spent flowers all summer. Buy a named cultivar such as 'Bubba' or 'Timeless Beauty' for better flowers and less litter.
Blue Palo Verde
Parkinsonia florida
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Low, once established
- Mature size
- 20 to 30 ft tall and wide
Caveat: Hardy enough for the Valley but it is thorny and messy in bloom, and it blows over if it was overwatered into fast, weak growth. Stake it only in year one and reduce water after establishment.
Texas Sage (Cenizo)
Leucophyllum frutescens
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Very low
- Mature size
- 4 to 6 ft tall and wide
Caveat: Hardy here, but it is the plant most often destroyed by hedge shears in Las Vegas. Let it grow into its natural mound; shearing removes the bloom and thins it out permanently.
Cactus and succulent accents
Zero-irrigation structure that looks intentional year round.
Golden Barrel Cactus
Kroenleinia grusonii
- Sun
- Full sun to light afternoon shade
- Water
- Very low
- Mature size
- 2 to 3 ft over decades
Caveat: It can be damaged by hard Las Vegas frost as well as by sunburn, which is a narrower window than Phoenix growers deal with. Site it where a wall gives it a little overnight warmth in winter and afternoon relief in summer.
Parry's Agave
Agave parryi
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Very low
- Mature size
- 2 to 3 ft tall and wide
Caveat: The right agave for Las Vegas because it is genuinely cold hardy well below the Valley's winter lows, unlike some softer agaves sold here. It is monocarpic, so the rosette dies after flowering and leaves pups behind.
Red Yucca
Hesperaloe parviflora
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Very low
- Mature size
- 3 ft tall and wide, bloom spikes to 5 ft
Caveat: Nearly bulletproof here, but it is slow in year one and it is often planted too close together in commercial landscapes. Give it 4 ft of space and do not shear the flower spikes off with a string trimmer.
Grasses and groundcovers
Softening plants that pass Southern Nevada's non-functional-turf rules and still read as green.
Deer Grass
Muhlenbergia rigens
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Low
- Mature size
- 3 to 4 ft tall and wide
Caveat: The correct substitute for invasive fountain grass. It needs cutting back to 6 inches every couple of years or it dies out in the middle and looks like a donut.
Purple Trailing Lantana
Lantana montevidensis
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Low
- Mature size
- 12 to 18 in tall, 4 to 6 ft wide
Caveat: Freezes to the ground most Las Vegas winters and comes back from the roots, so expect bare soil from December to April. Berries are toxic to pets and children.
Rosemary (prostrate forms)
Salvia rosmarinus 'Prostratus'
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Low
- Mature size
- 1 to 2 ft tall, 4 to 6 ft wide
Caveat: Excellent on slopes and over walls, and it will rot if it is on the same drip schedule as anything thirstier. Keep it on its own low-frequency valve.
Flowering color
Color that holds up to a Mojave summer and a mid-20s winter.
Autumn Sage
Salvia greggii
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Low
- Mature size
- 2 to 3 ft tall and wide
Caveat: Wants a hard prune in late winter or it goes woody. In the Valley it also appreciates afternoon shade, which is the opposite of the full-sun advice printed on the tag.
Mexican Bird of Paradise
Erythrostemon mexicanus
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Low
- Mature size
- 8 to 12 ft
Caveat: This is the more cold-hardy of the plants sold as bird of paradise, and it is the one to use here. Its red-flowered relative Caesalpinia pulcherrima freezes to the ground in Las Vegas most years, so confirm the botanical name at purchase.
What should you not plant in Las Vegas?
Skip fountain grass and buffelgrass, both invasive fire carriers in the Mojave. Skip mulberry and olive, which are restricted or discouraged in Clark County for pollen reasons. And be careful with oleander, which is widely planted, highly toxic, and has been hit hard by leaf scorch disease in the Southwest.
What are the watering rules in Las Vegas?
The Southern Nevada Water Authority pays a per-square-foot rebate for replacing grass with desert landscaping, and Nevada law now prohibits non-functional turf in much of the Valley. Mandatory seasonal watering-day restrictions apply year round, so design for a drip schedule, not a sprinkler one.
Water rules and rebate programs change. Confirm the current stage and schedule with your local water provider before relying on it.
Questions
What plants survive in Las Vegas with almost no water?
Cenizo, red yucca, Parry's agave, golden barrel cactus, deer grass, prostrate rosemary, and desert willow all survive on Las Vegas's roughly 4 inches of annual rainfall plus minimal drip irrigation once established. All of them still need regular water for their first two summers to root in.
Can I use a Phoenix plant list in Las Vegas?
Not directly. Las Vegas is meaningfully colder in winter than Phoenix, regularly dropping into the mid 20s, so tender subtropicals that survive in the Valley of the Sun will freeze out here. Cold-hardy choices such as Parry's agave and Mexican bird of paradise are the Las Vegas substitutes for softer plants that work in Phoenix.
Does Las Vegas pay you to remove grass?
The Southern Nevada Water Authority runs a Water Smart Landscapes rebate that pays a set amount per square foot of grass converted to desert landscaping, and Nevada law now bans non-functional turf across much of the Las Vegas Valley. Check current rebate rates and pre-approval requirements with SNWA before starting work, since the rate and rules change.
What should I not plant in Las Vegas?
Avoid fountain grass and buffelgrass, which are invasive in the Mojave and carry fire into landscapes. Mulberry and olive are restricted or discouraged in Clark County over pollen. Oleander is common but highly toxic and has suffered badly from leaf scorch disease in the Southwest, so it is a poor long-term choice.
Want a plant list matched to your specific yard rather than Las Vegas in general? See how Dream Landscaper designs against your actual conditions, or skip ahead and get your free concept.
Other city plant guides
11 plants covered. Mature sizes and water needs are typical ranges for the Las Vegas, Nevada area and vary with microclimate, soil depth, and care. Nothing here is a substitute for a soil test or local extension advice.