Plant Collection
A sample listing of the plant collection at the ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden
Mediterranean Conservatory
- Pride of Madeira (Echium fastuosum)
- Island snapdragon (Galvezia speciosa)
- Spanish Shawl (Heterocentron elegans)
- Jasmine (Jasminum odoratissimum)
- Lions-tail (Leonotis leonurus)
- Granite honey-myrtle (Melaleuca elliptica)
- Oleander (Nerium oleander ‘Sister Agnus’)
- Jerusalem Sage (Phlomis fruticosa)
- Cape plumbago (Plumbago auriculata)
- Trumpet flower (Tecomeria ‘Orange Jubilee’)
- Sweet garlic (Tulbaghia fragrans)
- Bears breach (Acanthus mollis)
- Kangaroo paws (Anigozanthos flavidas)
- Bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus)
- Natal plum (Carissa grandiflora)
- Sage-leaf rockrose (Cistus salviifolius)
- Fortnight lily (Dietes grandiflora)
Desert Conservatory
- Desert butterflybush (Buddleya marrubifolia)
- Baja fairyduster (Calliandra california)
- Damianita (Chrysactinia mexicana)
- Wild cotton (Gossypium harknessii)
- Tree morning glory (Ipomea fistulosa)
- Chuparosa (Justicia californica)
- Texas ranger (Leucophyllum candidum ‘Thunder cloud’)
- Texas ranger (Leucophyllum langmaniae ‘Rio Bravo’)
- Morkelia (Morkelia acuminata)
- Plumbago (Plumbago scandens)
- Trumpet flower (Tecomeria ‘Orange Jubilee’)
- Yucca (Yucca linearifolia)
Outside Conservatory
- Glossey abelia (Abelia grandiflora)
- Yarrow (Achillea filipendulina)
- Hollyhock (Althaea rosea)
- Mat daisy (Anacyclus depressus)
- Yellow columbine (Aqulegia chrysantha)
- Butterfly milkweed (Asclepias speciosa)
- Chocolate flower (Berlanderia lyrata)
- Butterfly bush (Buddleya davidii)
- Butterfly bush (Buddleya marrubifolia)
- Wine cups (Callirhoe involucrate)
- Sun cups (Calylophus hartwegii)
- Sun cups (Calylophus serrulatus)
- Blue mist spirea (Caryopteris clandonensis)
- Red valerian (Centranthus ruber)
- Trumpet vine (Campsis radicans)
- Bush anemone (Carpenteria californica)
- Red valerian (Centranthus ruber)
- Snow-in-summer (Cerastium tomentosum)
- Desert willow (Chilopsis linearis)
- Chiltalpa (Chiltalpa tashkentensis)
- Oxeye daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum)
- Crimson-spot rockrose (Cistus ladanifer)
- Purple rockrose (Cistus x purpureus)
- Sage-leaf rockrose (Cistus salviifolius)
- Clematis (Clematis sp., white and purple)
- Rocky Mountain bee plant (Cleome serrulata)
- Coreopsis (Coreopsis grandiflora)
- Shrubby cinquefoil (Dasiphora floribunda)
- Jimson weed (Datura wrightii)
- Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum)
- Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens)
- Blanket flower (Gallardia grandiflora)
- Whirling butterflies (Gaura lindheimeri)
- Geranium (Geranium sp.)
- Verbena (Glandularia gooddingii)
- Daylily, assorted (Hemeroacallis sp.)
- Red yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora)
- Angelina daisy (Hymenoxys acalus)
- Aaron’s beard (Hypericum calycinum)
- Red-hot poker (Kniphofia uvaria)
- Munstead lavender (Lavandula ‘Munstead’)
- Lobelia (Lobelia laxiflora)
- Hall’s Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica ‘Halliana’)
- Trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)
- Heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica)
- Catmint (Nepeta x faassenii)
- Oleander (Nerium oleander)
- Yellow evening primrose (Oenothera missouriensis)
- Mexican primrose (Oenothera speciosa)
- Penstemon (Penstemon barbatus)
- Pine-leaf penstemon (Penstemon pinifolius)
- Desert penstemon (Penstemon pseudospectabilus)
- Mock orange (Philidelphis sp.)
- Phlomis (Phlomis cashmeriana)
- Jerusalem sage (Phlomis fruticosa)
- Phlomis (Phlomis russeliana)
- Cape fuchsia (Phygelius capensis)
- Paper flower (Psilostrophe tagentea)
- Pomegranate (Punica granatum)
- Mexican hat (Ratibida columnifera)
- Roses, assorted (Rosa sp.)
- Cherry sage (Salvia greggii)
- Creeping sage (Salvia repens)
- Mexican elder (Sambucus mexicana)
- Soapberry (Sapindus drummondii)
- Spiraea (Spiraea bumalda ‘Anthony Waterer’ & ‘Goldflame’)
- Lamb’s ears (Stachys lanata)
Endangered, Threatened and Rare Plants
The BioPark is working with many partners to establish ex situ, or “off-site,” populations of threatened, rare or endangered native plants at the Botanic Garden.
Our Partners
- State of New Mexico Forestry Division
- New Mexico Heritage Program
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Bureau of Land Management
- U.S. Forest Service
- New Mexico Rare Plant Technical Council
- University of New Mexico
How the BioPark Helps
- Seeds provided by our partners are germinated at the BioPark greenhouses by horticulture staff.
- Plants are tended by horticulture staff.
- Horticulture staff work with conservation partners on research projects and seed collection.
- Plant identification labels and interpretive signs educate visitors about the plants.
- Conservation events highlight the species in the collection.
Ex Situ Plant Collection
- Sacramento prickly poppy - Argemone pleiacanthassp. pinnatisecta – Poppy Hill at Heritage Farm
The Botanic Garden has become a state-wide seed source for the poppies. Seeds given to U.S. Forest Service are being grown for reintroduction into the wild. - New Mexico beardtongue - Penstemon neomexicanus – Poppy Hill at the Heritage Farm.The New Mexico beardtongue is a locally common plant. It is food for the caterpillars of the rare Sacramento Mountain checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas anicia cloudcrofti). Seeds and seedlings are used in habitat restoration for the butterfly.
- Wright’s marsh thistle - Cirsium wrightii - PNM Butterfly Pavilion
- Fugate’s amsonia - Amsonia fugatei - Railroad Garden, Poppy Hill at the Heritage Farm and Curandera Garden
- Holy Ghost ipomopsis - Ipomopsis sancti-spiritus - Butterfly Pavilion
- Lesser yellow lady’s slipper - Cypripedium parviflorum - seed had been successfully germinated and we are waiting for the plants to grow large enough to plant in the garden.
- Goldenseal - Hydrastis canadensis – Curandera Garden
- Osha - Ligusticum porteri – Curandera Garden
- Elkweed - Frasera speciosa – Curandera Garden
- Santa Fe cholla - Cylindropuntia viridiflora – Zoo and Botanic Garden
- El Paso pricklypear - Opuntia arenaria – Botanic Garden
Salvaged from southern New Mexico, these endangered prickly pears are in the garden’s collection as cultivated seed and propagule source.