Right Plant, Right Place

Plants Native to Santa Fe : Bee Balm, Datura, Apache Plume, Mojave Sage, Mexican Primrose.

‘Right plant, right place’ is a concept that weighs functional, aesthetic, and environmental considerations when matching a plant with a site.

The first step of this process is finding a solid resource for native plants. Never assume a plant is native just because it is abundant or well suited to an area. Adapted plants are often from Europe or Asia. We know that native plants are more beneficial to our pollinators than adapted plants. This is the native plant list that NMSU created for Santa Fe.

Another aspect of “right plant, right place” considers the amount of space the plant will take up when it matures. Over-trimming can leave a plant unattractive and weak, therefore we allow plants to keep their naturally mounded shapes and we only prune judiciously.