Deserts, Mountains, Plateaus, and Grasslands Arizona and New Mexico include some of the most spectacular and dynamic landscapes in the American West. Heading north from the arid U.S.-Mexico border, the landscape steadily gains elevation, and moisture levels rise. Two mighty rivers, the Rio Grande and the Colorado, also cross through the region, and numerous tributaries provide a perennial water source for plants and wildlife. The Mojave, Sonora, and Chihuahua deserts extend into the heart of the region, supporting some of the most diverse--and fragile--communities in North America. ***** Wavyleaf Thistle Stems 2-8 feet; spiny bracts with a white ridge; rose-purple flowers; wavy-lobed, spiny leaves Woods Rose Thorny shrub, 3-9 feet; 5 petals; showy yellow stamens; 5-7 oval leaflets along midrib; forests Indian Blanket Stems to 2 feet; rays with varying amounts of yellow and red; linear to spatula-shaped leaves Fairy Duster Thornless shrub to 3 feet; spherical clusters with showy stamens; twice-compound leaves; AZ.