Havasu National Wildlife Refuge is located in the southern portion of the Mojave Desert. Established in 1941 for the benefit of migratory birds, it is also the home of a diverse array of vegetation. The Colorado River and Topock Marsh cut into the arid, hostile desert and provide relief from the creosote flats and smoke tree/palo verde washes associated with the area. Goodding willow and Fremont cottonwood can be found in patches around the river and marsh along with screwbean and honey mesquite. Havasu National Wildlife Refuge is dedicated to the restoration of native vegetation and, where ever possible, the removal of the exotic, invasive salt cedar (Tamarix sp.).

Spring comes early to this part of the world and wild flowers and other herbaceous plants may be found in February, depending on rainfall patterns. Spring is the best time to view most of the plants listed below, but some shrub and tree species will be found throughout the year. Palo verde is in full bloom in March followed by smoke tree in the warmer months of June.

Occurance (O)
A = Annual
P = Perennial
B = Biennial

Growth Form (GF)
G = Grass
F = Forb
S = Shrub
T = Tree

Status (S)
E = Endangered
T = Threatened
C = Candidate
/ = No Status

Exotic (E)
Y = Yes
N = No