13 Evergreen Trees in New Mexico

Growing up in New Mexico, I was always amazed at the number of trees that would be green year-round. As a child, my dad told me it was because the soil had a lot of minerals and nutrients to keep them going all year long. It wasn’t until years later when I took a Geology course in college that I learned this is actually not true!

The truth is, many evergreen trees have an adaptation called photoprotection which allows them to absorb harmful UV light from the sun and turn it into energy for themselves without burning or damaging their cells like other plants do. This means they can grow anywhere in the world with just enough sunlight! Now when I look back on my childhood memories, instead of thinking about how much cooler New Mexico is than other places because we had all these trees, I get a new appreciation for New Mexico and why it’s such a beautiful place!

These are the most commonly found evergreen trees in the southwestern state of New Mexico.

1. Douglas Fir  (pseudotsuga menziesii)

Douglas fir Pseudotsuga menziesii
Tom Brandt Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)

The Douglas fir is a tall evergreen tree that can grow up to 200 feet tall. It is found in forests all over New Mexico and is the state tree of Oregon. The Douglas fir has stiff, dark-green needles and produces cones that are about 2-4 inches long.

2. Curlleaf Mountain Mahogany (cercocarpus ledifolius)

Cercocarpus ledifolius
Jason Hollinger Cercocarpus ledifolius

The curlleaf mountain mahogany is a small evergreen tree that can grow up to 15 feet tall. It is found in mountain forests all over New Mexico and has dark-green leaves that are about 3 inches long. The curlleaf mountain mahogany produces small, red flowers in the spring and blue-black fruit in the fall.

3. Arizona Cypress (cupressus arizonica)

Arizona Cypress
Chris M Morris Arizona Cypress

The Arizona Cypress is a tall evergreen tree that can grow up to 150 feet tall. It is found in the mountains of New Mexico and has dark-green leaves that are about 1-2 inches long. The Arizona Cypress produces small, brown cones that are about 1 inch long.

4. Bristlecone Pine (Pinus Longaeva)

Bristlecone Pine Pinus Longaeva
John Rusk Bristlecone Pine (Pinus Longaeva)

The Bristlecone Pine is a small evergreen tree that can grow up to 20 feet tall. It is found in the mountains of New Mexico and has dark-green leaves that are about 1 inch long. The Bristlecone Pine produces small, brown cones that are about 1 inch long.

5. Soaptree Yucca (yucca elata)

Soaptree Yucca Yucca elata
Judy Gallagher Soaptree Yucca (Yucca elata)

The Soaptree Yucca is a tall evergreen tree that can grow up to 40 feet tall. It is found in the Chihuahuan Desert of New Mexico and has long, green leaves that are about 2-3 inches wide. The Soaptree Yucca produces a white, bell-shaped flower in the spring.

Related: Are Yucca Plants Poisonous?

6. Austrian Pine Tree (pinus nigra)

Austrian Pine Pinus nigra
Miltos Gikas Austrian Pine (Pinus nigra)

The Austrian Pine Tree is a tall evergreen tree that can grow up to 100 feet tall. It is found in New Mexico and has dark-green needles that are about 1 inch long. The Austrian Pine Tree produces small, brown cones that are about 2 inches long.

7. Pinyon Pine (Pinus edulis)

Pinyon pines Pinus edulis
GC NP Pinyon pines (Pinus edulis)

The Pinyon Pine is a small evergreen tree that can grow up to 20 feet tall. It is found in New Mexico and has dark-green needles that are about 1 inch long. The Pinyon Pine produces small, brown cones that are about 1 inch long.

8. Mexican Pinyon (pinus cembroides)

Mexican Pinyon
Homer Edward Price Mexican Pinyon

The Mexican Pinyon is a small evergreen tree that can grow up to 30 feet tall. It is found in New Mexico and has reddish-brown needles that are about 1 inch long. The Mexican Pinyon produces small, blue-green cones that are about 2 inches long.

9. Arizona Cypress (cupressus arizonica)

Arizona Cypress
Chris M Morris Arizona Cypress

The Arizona Cypress is a tall evergreen tree that can grow up to 150 feet tall. It is found in the mountains of New Mexico and has dark-green leaves that are about 1-2 inches long. The Arizona Cypress produces small, brown cones that are about 1 inch long.

10. Mexican Blue Oak (quercus oblongifolia)

Mexican Blue Oak quercus oblongifolia
Katja Schulz Mexican Blue Oak (Quercus Oblongifolia)

The Mexican Blue Oak is a small evergreen tree that can grow up to 70 feet tall. It’s New Mexico’s only blue oak! It also has small, light-green leaves that are about 1-1.5 inches long. The Mexican Blue Oak produces greenish-blue acorns that are about 0.5 inches long.

11. Alligator Juniper (juniperus deppeana)

Juniperus deppeana alligator juniper
Matt Lavin Juniperus deppeana – alligator juniper

The Alligator Juniper is a small evergreen tree that can grow up to 35 feet tall. It is New Mexico’s only juniper! The bark looks like alligator skin and this tree has reddish-brown bark year round. New needles appear in the spring and are coppery-red at first, then green.

12. Blue Spruce (picea pungens glauca)

Blue Spruce
Frank Richards Blue Spruce

The Blue Spruce is a tall evergreen tree that can grow up to 150 feet tall. It is found in New Mexico and has dark-green needles that are about 1 inch long. The Blue Spruce produces small, blue cones that are about 1 inch long.

13. Mexican Fan Palm (washingtonia robusta)

Washingtonia robusta Mexican fan palm
Forest and Kim Starr Washingtonia robusta (Mexican fan palm)

The Mexican Fan Palm is a tall evergreen tree that can grow up to 60 feet tall. It is New Mexico’s only palm! The leaves are made up of long, pointed segments and the underside of the leaf is silver-gray. New leaflets appear in pairs that look like fans.