Garden plants for Mexico
234 plants that appear on garden plant lists for Mexico: vegetables, herbs, fruit, flowers, shrubs and trees that gardeners there commonly grow, native or introduced. Each links to a growing guide with spacing, sun, water, hardiness, toxicity and sources.
Mexico spans more than one climate. Being on this list does not mean a plant suits your own site: check its hardiness and water needs against your local conditions, and avoid plants listed as invasive in your area.
Plan a garden with these plants →
Vegetables (39)
- Arrowroot (West Indian arrowroot) Maranta arundinacea
- Bell pepper Capsicum annuum
- Blue agave (tequila agave) Agave tequilana
- Broccoli Brassica oleracea var. italica
- Bush bean Phaseolus vulgaris
- Cabbage Brassica oleracea var. capitata
- Carrot Daucus carota subsp. sativus
- Cauliflower Brassica oleracea var. botrytis
- Chayote Sechium edule
- Cherry tomato Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme
- Chili pepper Capsicum annuum (hot types)
- Cucumber Cucumis sativus
- Fig-leaf gourd (chilacayote) Cucurbita ficifolia
- Garden pea Pisum sativum
- Garlic Allium sativum
- Habanero Capsicum chinense
- Huauzontle (pitseed goosefoot) Chenopodium berlandieri
- JĂcama Pachyrhizus erosus
- Lettuce Lactuca sativa
- Okra Abelmoschus esculentus
- Onion Allium cepa
- Potato Solanum tuberosum
- Prince’s feather (huautli amaranth) Amaranthus hypochondriacus
- Pumpkin Cucurbita maxima / C. pepo
- Purslane Portulaca oleracea
- Radish Raphanus sativus
- Rocoto Capsicum pubescens
- Roselle (hibiscus sorrel) Hibiscus sabdariffa
- Runner bean Phaseolus coccineus
- Sesame Sesamum indicum
- Silver-seed gourd (cushaw, pipián) Cucurbita argyrosperma
- Spinach Spinacia oleracea
- Sweet corn Zea mays var. saccharata
- Tannia (malanga, yautĂa, cocoyam) Xanthosoma sagittifolium
- Tepary bean Phaseolus acutifolius
- Tomatillo Physalis philadelphica
- Tomato Solanum lycopersicum
- Watermelon Citrullus lanatus
- Zucchini (courgette) Cucurbita pepo
Herbs (18)
- Anise (aniseed) Pimpinella anisum
- Basil Ocimum basilicum
- Chia Salvia hispanica
- Cleveland sage Salvia clevelandii
- Common rue Ruta graveolens
- Coriander (cilantro) Coriandrum sativum
- Cuban oregano (Indian borage) Coleus amboinicus
- Culantro Eryngium foetidum
- Cumin Cuminum cyminum
- Epazote Dysphania ambrosioides · invasive in some regions
- Mexican giant hyssop (toronjil morado) Agastache mexicana
- Mexican marigold (Mexican tarragon) Tagetes lucida
- Mexican oregano Lippia graveolens
- Mint Mentha spicata
- Oregano Origanum vulgare
- Pápalo (papaloquelite) Porophyllum ruderale
- Parsley Petroselinum crispum
- White sage (sacred sage) Salvia apiana
Fruit (35)
- Acerola (Barbados cherry) Malpighia emarginata
- Avocado Persea americana
- Banana Musa x paradisiaca
- Barbados gooseberry (ora-pro-nóbis, leaf cactus) Pereskia aculeata · invasive in some regions
- Blackberry Rubus fruticosus agg.
- Black sapote (chocolate pudding fruit) Diospyros nigra
- Cashew Anacardium occidentale
- Common fig Ficus carica
- Custard apple (bullock’s heart) Annona reticulata
- Dragon fruit (pitaya) Selenicereus undatus
- Genipap (huito, jagua) Genipa americana
- Guava Psidium guajava · invasive in some regions
- Ice-cream bean (guaba, pacay) Inga edulis
- Jamaican cherry (calabura, takhop farang) Muntingia calabura · invasive in some regions
- Jocote (red mombin, ciruela) Spondias purpurea
- Key lime Citrus x aurantiifolia
- Lemon tree (dwarf) Citrus limon
- Mamey sapote Pouteria sapota
- Mammee apple (mamey de Santo Domingo) Mammea americana
- Mamoncillo (Spanish lime, quenepa) Melicoccus bijugatus
- Mango (dwarf) Mangifera indica
- Nance (nanche, murici) Byrsonima crassifolia
- Papaya Carica papaya
- Persian lime Citrus x latifolia
- Pomegranate Punica granatum
- Prickly pear (nopal) Opuntia ficus-indica · invasive in some regions
- Rose apple Syzygium jambos · invasive in some regions
- Sapodilla (chico, lamut) Manilkara zapota
- Soursop (guanábana) Annona muricata
- Star apple (caimito) Chrysophyllum cainito
- Sugar apple (sweetsop) Annona squamosa
- Sweet granadilla Passiflora ligularis
- Vanilla orchid Vanilla planifolia
- White sapote (zapote blanco) Casimiroa edulis
- Yellow mombin (hog plum, cajá, jobo) Spondias mombin
Flowers (46)
- Air plant (blushing tillandsia) Tillandsia ionantha
- Angelonia (summer snapdragon) Angelonia angustifolia
- Arrowhead vine (syngonium) Syngonium podophyllum · invasive in some regions
- Baby rubber plant (blunt-leaved peperomia) Peperomia obtusifolia
- Bougainvillea Bougainvillea glabra
- California fuchsia (hummingbird trumpet) Epilobium canum
- Cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis
- Chocolate cosmos Cosmos atrosanguineus
- Cigar plant Cuphea ignea
- Cosmos Cosmos bipinnatus
- Cup-and-saucer vine (cathedral bells) Cobaea scandens
- Dahlia Dahlia pinnata hybrids
- Desert marigold Baileya multiradiata
- Dumb cane (dieffenbachia) Dieffenbachia seguine
- Firewheel (Indian blanket) Gaillardia pulchella
- Floss flower (ageratum) Ageratum houstonianum
- Four o'clock flower Mirabilis jalapa
- French marigold Tagetes patula
- Garden rose Rosa x hybrida
- Globe amaranth Gomphrena globosa
- Heartleaf philodendron Philodendron hederaceum
- Lady of the night orchid Brassavola nodosa
- Maximilian sunflower Helianthus maximiliani
- Mexican bush sage Salvia leucantha
- Mexican hat (prairie coneflower) Ratibida columnifera
- Mexican marigold (cempasĂşchil) Tagetes erecta
- Mexican petunia (Britton’s wild petunia) Ruellia simplex · invasive in some regions
- Mexican sunflower (tithonia) Tithonia rotundifolia
- Moonflower Ipomoea alba
- Morning glory Ipomoea purpurea
- Mother of thousands (devil’s backbone) Kalanchoe daigremontiana · invasive in some regions
- Parry's penstemon Penstemon parryi
- Petunia Petunia x hybrida
- Pineleaf penstemon Penstemon pinifolius
- Queen of the night (Dutchman’s pipe cactus) Epiphyllum oxypetalum
- Red yucca Hesperaloe parviflora
- Safflower Carthamus tinctorius
- Scarlet star bromeliad Guzmania lingulata
- Society garlic (wild garlic) Tulbaghia violacea
- Sunflower Helianthus annuus
- Tiger flower (Mexican shell flower, cacomitl) Tigridia pavonia
- Tropical hibiscus Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
- Tuberose Agave amica (Polianthes tuberosa)
- Western blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium bellum
- Winecup (purple poppy mallow) Callirhoe involucrata
- Zinnia Zinnia elegans
Shrubs (47)
- Adam's needle (yucca) Yucca filamentosa
- Annatto (lipstick tree) Bixa orellana
- Arabica coffee Coffea arabica
- Beaked yucca Yucca rostrata
- Blue candle cactus (bilberry cactus, garambullo) Myrtillocactus geometrizans
- Brittlebush Encelia farinosa
- Bunny ears cactus (polka-dot cactus) Opuntia microdasys · invasive in some regions
- Bush poppy (tree poppy) Dendromecon rigida
- Butterfly agave (papalomé, tobalá) Agave potatorum
- Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis
- Cardboard palm Zamia furfuracea
- Century plant (agave) Agave americana · invasive in some regions
- Cotton (upland cotton) Gossypium hirsutum
- Creosote bush Larrea tridentata
- Desert spoon (sotol) Dasylirion wheeleri
- Engelmann's prickly pear Opuntia engelmannii
- Firecracker bush (bouvardia, trompetilla) Bouvardia ternifolia
- Firecracker plant (coral plant) Russelia equisetiformis
- Fishhook barrel cactus Ferocactus wislizeni
- Foxtail agave (spineless century plant) Agave attenuata
- Frangipani (plumeria) Plumeria rubra
- Golden barrel cactus Echinocactus grusonii
- Golden dewdrop (sky flower, duranta) Duranta erecta · invasive in some regions
- Golden leather fern (piai raya) Acrostichum aureum
- Golden trumpet (allamanda) Allamanda cathartica · invasive in some regions
- Lantana Lantana camara · invasive in some regions
- Mexican heather (false heather) Cuphea hyssopifolia
- Mexican orange blossom Choisya ternata
- Night-blooming jessamine (dama de noche) Cestrum nocturnum · invasive in some regions
- Ocotillo Fouquieria splendens
- Old man cactus Cephalocereus senilis
- Oleander Nerium oleander
- Organ pipe cactus Stenocereus thurberi
- Parry's agave Agave parryi
- Pencil tree (firesticks, milk bush) Euphorbia tirucalli
- Pigeon pea Cajanus cajan
- Poinsettia Euphorbia pulcherrima
- Pulque agave (maguey pulquero) Agave salmiana
- Queen Victoria agave Agave victoriae-reginae
- Sticky monkeyflower (orange bush monkeyflower) Diplacus aurantiacus
- Swiss cheese plant Monstera deliciosa
- Teddy-bear cholla Cylindropuntia bigelovii
- Texas sage (cenizo) Leucophyllum frutescens
- Tree cholla (cane cholla) Cylindropuntia imbricata · invasive in some regions
- Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia · invasive in some regions
- Weeping bottlebrush Melaleuca viminalis
- Yellow bells (yellow trumpetbush) Tecoma stans · invasive in some regions
Trees (28)
- Allspice (pimento) Pimenta dioica
- Big-leaf mahogany Swietenia macrophylla
- Blue palo verde Parkinsonia florida
- Cacao Theobroma cacao
- Calabash tree (jĂcaro, totumo) Crescentia cujete
- Coconut palm Cocos nucifera
- Desert ironwood Olneya tesota
- Desert willow Chilopsis linearis
- Gliricidia (madre de cacao, mata ratĂłn) Gliricidia sepium
- Golden trumpet tree (ipĂŞ-amarelo) Handroanthus chrysotrichus
- Jacaranda Jacaranda mimosifolia · invasive in some regions
- Kapok (ceiba, silk-cotton tree) Ceiba pentandra
- Mexican fan palm Washingtonia robusta · invasive in some regions
- Mexican giant cardĂłn Pachycereus pringlei
- Montezuma cypress (ahuehuete) Taxodium mucronatum
- Orchid tree (mountain ebony) Bauhinia variegata · invasive in some regions
- Pecan Carya illinoinensis
- Peruvian pepper tree Schinus molle · invasive in some regions
- Pink trumpet tree (ipĂŞ) Handroanthus impetiginosus
- Ponytail palm (elephant’s foot) Beaucarnea recurvata
- Queen palm (jerivá) Syagrus romanzoffiana · invasive in some regions
- Rain tree Samanea saman · invasive in some regions
- Rosy trumpet tree (chomphu phanthip) Tabebuia rosea
- Royal poinciana (flamboyant) Delonix regia
- Saguaro Carnegiea gigantea
- Tamarind Tamarindus indica
- Tropical almond (Indian almond, hu kwang) Terminalia catappa
- Velvet mesquite Prosopis velutina
Grasses (6)
- Blue grama (eyelash grass) Bouteloua gracilis
- Deer grass Muhlenbergia rigens
- Mexican feather grass Nassella tenuissima · invasive in some regions
- Pink muhly grass Muhlenbergia capillaris
- Sorghum Sorghum bicolor
- Sugarcane Saccharum officinarum
Groundcovers (15)
- Aloe vera Aloe vera
- Bishop’s cap cactus Astrophytum myriostigma
- Boston fern (sword fern) Nephrolepis exaltata
- Burro’s tail (donkey’s tail) Sedum morganianum
- Claret cup cactus (kingcup cactus) Echinocereus triglochidiatus
- Ghost plant (mother-of-pearl plant) Graptopetalum paraguayense
- Giant chalk dudleya (Britton’s live-forever) Dudleya brittonii
- Inch plant (silver inch plant, wandering dude) Tradescantia zebrina · invasive in some regions
- Jelly bean plant (pork and beans) Sedum rubrotinctum
- Ladyfinger cactus (gold lace cactus) Mammillaria elongata
- Mexican fleabane Erigeron karvinskianus · invasive in some regions
- Mexican snowball (echeveria) Echeveria elegans
- Moonstones (sugared almond plant) Pachyphytum oviferum
- Moses-in-the-cradle (oyster plant) Tradescantia spathacea · invasive in some regions
- Spanish moss Tillandsia usneoides
Reference values for planning, not horticultural, veterinary or medical advice. Varieties, soils and local climates differ: check with a local nursery or extension service.