We want to help you select local plants that thrive in our natural habitat but are also both beautiful and economical. This will result in plants that are easier to care for and better support our local ecosystem. Our Grow Native initiative is here to help show you the way!

News and Blog Items

Here are some recent and interesting items. Click the link for the full article.

AZNPS Board of Directors Welcomes Two New Chapters
New members are welcome in the Tonto Basin, Gila County, Chapter and the Peach Springs, Mohave County chapter. News and events of all chapters can be found in the Events Calendar and under the Chapter […]
Creosote: That unforgettable desert aroma, and so much more!
AZNPS Board member Jack Dash appeared recently on AZ Public Media, Arizona Illustrated program to talk about this iconic Sonoran Desert plant.
Videos from 2022 AZNPS Annual Botany Meeting
Videos from the 2022 Annual Botany Meeting available now on YouTube!
Maricopa Pollinator Pathway: Garden Certification Program for AZ
The Maricopa Pollinator Pathway is a new initiative of the Maricopa Native Seed Library which helps to build interconnected pollinator habitat. The Pathway also offers a pollinator habitat certification program for Maricopa County and other low & intermediate desert areas of Arizona.
Native Plants for Desert Tortoises: 2022 Update
The Phoenix Chapter collaborated with the Arizona Game and Fish Department to update the Native Plants for Desert Tortoises pamphlet. The native plants listed provide captive desert tortoises a nutritious diet. (These plants are also great choices for landscaping, even if you don’t have a tortoise!)
Happenings – Winter 2022-23 Newsletter
The Fall edition of Happenings is now available! Read to learn more about activities of AZNPS chapters around the state.
Dear Plant Nerd,
Help! We are Tucson homeowners and want to know of a nice tall, non toxic, bush we can plant for shade on the SW side of our home. The previous owners planted Oleander, which we […]
Wear gloves when you tackle those weeds.
Spurge aka Euphorbia/Chamaesyce is a common weed that can be an irritant.
DEAR PLANT GEEK, Tell me about a really cool plant for the Sonoran Desert.
The coral bean (Erythrina flabelliformis) is one of the coolest plants in southern Arizona. Deciduous shrub (in our region) usually growing to about 4’ high and wide. This is actually a tropical tree—our region used […]
Trailing Grama Grass (Bouteloua diversispicula) in Arizona: Recent Learnings
Trailing Grama is a perennial native grass that in wet summers forms prolific solons that knit desert soils together in shallow rooted turf-like stands. And good news: this year for the first time there is clear evidence that Trailing Grama is outcompeting Bermudagrass along moist roadsides.