Landscaping in Las Cruces, NM

Las Cruces is served by the City of Las Cruces Utilities water system, not El Paso Water. The watering rules, rebate programs, and conservation incentives are different on this side of the state line, and the local landscaper we match builds to the New Mexico programs.

The Mesilla Valley soil is a mix of sandy loam near the Rio Grande and caliche on the East Mesa. The local contractor we match tests before they plant because the same neighborhood can have both.

Las Cruces gets a little more rain than El Paso—around nine to ten inches—and the Organ Mountains shade parts of the city in the late afternoon, which changes plant choice and irrigation zoning.

Spring wind here comes off the Organ Mountains and the Jornada del Muerto, and it dries out new beds fast. Local crews use granite mulch and wind-tolerant natives like desert spoon, agave, and Texas sage.