What we need is a modern day Johnny Appleseed only maybe we'll call him Johnny Cactus Seed. He can roam the desert planting cactus and other drought tolerant plants. Maybe he'll even win a Nobel Prize for his efforts!
Kudzu - A Very Wicked Plant It may be an invasive weed in the southeast states, but here in the desert it would probably be easy to keep under control. Of course, if it somehow reached local springs it might be a problem, but then again the local donkeys need something to eat!
I feel that both of you guys are missing the point. Desert reclamation is not just about planting one species or another. It's about realizing and using factors, Like how geology and the interaction of species affect the land in ways very few people understand. Even our professional environmentalists in charge.
Using Drones to Plant 20,000,000 Trees Something like this might work for desert shrubs. A lot of areas have been devastated by off-road abuse and replanting might be the quickest way to fix the problem. https://teamtrees.org
Planting 20,000,000 Trees, My Biggest Project Ever! This guy knows how to make environmental improvement fun. Improving a desert environment would be harder due to lack of water, but I like this guy's enthusiasm and commitment!
Maybe someone can plant 20,000,000 cactus plants or creosote bushes. The desert around Trona could use some clean up and rehab. Whatever happened to Trona pride?
There's gotta be some unstoppable plant that will do for the desert what kudzu has done for the south. And if not, then it oughta be possible to genetically engineer something that'll get the job done! I'm just joking, of course.