Look for Drosanthemum Speciosum Ice Plants
Stan Shebs/Wikimedia Commons
Find patches of glistening Drosanthemum Speciosum and other related ice plants in the arid regions of Texas, Arizona, California and elsewhere. The ice plants are succulents, and some species' leaves may be used in salads. Identify this desert plant by its thick leaves that glisten as if dew were present on them. Bright colored flowers erupt in the late spring and last until the middle of summer. These ice plants tend to take over entire patches.
Notice the Telltale Shapes of Atriplex Hymenelytra
Tsui/Wikimedia Commons
Take a close look at Atriplex Hymenelytra, also known as desert holly, and you will be struck just how much this plant looks like the Christmas holly you are most likely accustomed to. Desert holly grows as a shrub and, while the Christmas holly is of a hunter green color, this desert plant is silver gray. Trips into the deserts of Nevada, Utah, California and Arizona will bring you face to face with this plant.
Find Plentiful Opuntia
Peggy Greb/Wikimedia Commons
You can easily locate members of the Opuntia family. These cacti present in various species and are situated in the arid and semi-arid regions throughout the United States. You might know Opuntia plants under the names of prickly pears, paddle cacti and nopali plants. The tender leaves make great food items---as long as the spines are carefully removed---as do the fruits of the cactus. Some Opuntia subspecies provide medicinal qualities, such as soothing of gastrointestinal upset.
