Helping native bees in your yard
Native bees are in trouble due to habitat loss, diseases, pesticides and other factors. Here’s a helpful article at the Arizona Daily Star discussing how to help them out.
About the three species of mesquite trees
The Sonoran Desert’s three mesquite tree species are keystone species that provide food, shelter, breeding areas, and many other benefits to both humans and wildlife. Read more about them here.
Palo verde trees
Read about the blue palo verde and the foothills palo verde trees in this informational page from the Arizona Native Plant Society.
Native plant lists
A number of different local organizations have helpful plant lists. These lists are an excellent starting point when designing your native garden.
- Here’s a great list from the Arizona Native Plant Society.
- Here’s another plant list from Tucson Audubon.
Tools for designing a garden
There are several tools out there to help you figure out the type of soil you have, the sun exposure in your garden, and the amount of precipitation you’re likely to get. This article in the Arizona Daily Star goes over these tools and how to use them.
Sample Tucson Garden Plan
Check out this free garden plan for small urban gardens. It includes information on native plants, rainwater harvesting, and many other helpful resources!
Native Plant Nurseries in Tucson and Southern Arizona
These nurseries make an effort to stock native plants. Check with the staff to make sure you’re getting the plants you want.
- Spadefoot Nursery. 2831 East Broadway Boulevard. Online orders with pickup and in-person plant shopping on Fridays-Sundays from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Check out their website at www.spadefootnursery.com
- Tohono Chul Desert Corner Nursery. 7366 North Paseo del Norte Tucson, AZ 85704. Open daily 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- B & B Cactus Farm. 11550 E Speedway Blvd, Tucson AZ 85748. Open Tues.-Sat. 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- Desert Survivors Plant Nursery. 1020 W Starr Pass Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85713. Open Thursday-Saturday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Borderlands Nursery and Seed. Periodic plants sales throughout the year. You can also order plants and have them delivered to Tucson. 42 San Antonio Road Patagonia, AZ 85624. Dates of plant sales vary, check their website.
- For native seeds, check out Native Seeds/SEARCH, a local nonprofit group. They mainly sell food plant seeds but also have wildflower and native plant seeds on their website.