Here and there on deep high silt terraces along the Rio Grande are remnant mesquite woodlands or bosques. Most of these are gone and have been replaced by tamarisk or saltcedar, an introduced pest species. The myriad seep springs scattered throughout the Bofecillos and canyons support their own special vegetation usually termed cienaga. Some are hanging gardens of poison ivy, columbine and grape. All are extremely important ecologically and require special care and protection.
Dry years result in a bleak, desert landscape.
Wet years like 1990, result in remarkable displays of diversity as if the countryside awakens from a deep sleep. In almost every month, you can see cacti in full bloom, with colors ranging from red to lavender to yellow. The verdant slopes with flowering grasses fill the air with the pungent aroma of creosote bush, senna, several acacia and mimosa species and mesquite. Engelman Prickly-Pear is a common cactus of dry upland slopes. Tree Cholla, one of the prickly-pear group of cactuses, proliferates on flat grassland areas.