Most colder climate Chihuahuan desert plants thrive here, while a select few from the Sonoran and Mojave will do OK here. Ocotillo is native just south of here at Isleta. By contrast, in the NE Heights and Foothills, aspen, fir, and spruce can do well on north facing shady sites or even in full sun as mine are. Trachycarpus fortunei is a bullet proof palm here as well. Many have been in the ground for many many years now.

Your landscape (and winter sun or lack thereof) really determines what you can grow. Snow can remain in the shade for literally weeks some years and with the lack of sun will kill many marginal plants. Siting is much more important here due to the extreme climate. I have seen 105+ here as well as below zero. 2 years ago we had 26 inches of snow in Sandia heights with something like 16 at the airport. These rare winter events will kill many non-natives. Hopefully, others can chime in. Search ABQ palms on google for interesting stuff. There is even a saguaro in town!

In the city I'm not sure invasive species are a big issue. In rural areas, Russian Olive trees and salt bush are considered invasive. The wild asters can take over, if they aren't kept in check. Then there are the typical things like morning glory, trumpet vine and Japanese honeysuckle.

The soil is probably alkaline, unless a previous owner did amendments. Adding organic materials would "normalize" the soil. If you plan to do a desert landscape, this is a moot point.

Good luck!
Lorna

I live in Las Cruces and people insist on planting palms of all kinds. They are not native, require pruning of dead fronds, and not real stable when first planted. Personally, there are better choices such as southwest native yucca trees.